The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-24 00:00:00

A French Watering Place,

A correspondent of the Cambridge _lndependent
Press, writing from Dieppe on Wednesday last,
after remarking that " lodgings there are to the
English in the fashionable time just double the
price which is asked for corresponding accommoda-
tion at Hastings or Scarborough," and that " £3O
a month is considered cheap for two rooms, up a
wearisome flight of stairs," gives a graphic and
vivacious account of the manner in which the
French visitors pass their time. He says—" A
peculiarity which the average English gentleman
wile regret in Dieppe, is the artificiality which the
Parisians, who mainly compose the body of visitors
here, all seem to bring with them into their holi-
days by the sea. French ladies come with their
most expensive dresses, and French gentlemen with
their lounging cafe life and cigars. I have said
that the sea before Dieppe is magnificent, but I
scarcely ever meet on it a Frenchman. I have my
pick of the sailing boats. There are very few of
them, and almost the only persons who hire them
are Englishmen. Round Dieppe are green lanes in
the deepest shade, between high grass and flower-
covered banks, and musical with the song of birds,
but we rarely meet the Parisians there. The forest
of Argues, with nooks, and paths, and roads, that
to us wore positively enchanting, is but a short dis-
tance off, yet the visitors who go there rarely ex-
ceed 20 or 30 a day. Can any one living in a city
desire a more exquisite retreat than the grounds
around the Chateau of Eu ? Yet when I have been
there, I have not seen a dozen of people in the place.
My first impression was that the hotel books, and
lodging-house keepers, and local journals had all
misled me, and that Dieppe was deserted. Where
were the people ? I must look into this mystery.
Accordingly I ventured an inquiry. Has Mon-
sier,' said the French lady to whom I put the ques-
tion at a table d'hote,' has Monsieur been to the Eta.
blissement ?' I answered that I had not. I liked to
see as much of dear nature as I could. 'Ah !' she
said, with a smile, I thought you had not been to
the Etablissement. Go there this evening and the
secret will be out.' I went. I became a sub-
scriber, and in two or three seconds I saw what the
visitors did with themselves. The Etablissement
is a little toy Crystal Palace, with a large reading-
room, a theatre, a ball-room, and a concert-room,
and a large restaurant. It is close to the sea, at
the extreme end of the Plage, and some hundreds
of chairs stand about on the terrace in front, on
which you can sit, and at high water almost touch
the white crest of the waves. This place is filled
from noon to night. Every Parisian lady dresses
herself for it after a late breakfast, and walks
straight to it from her hotel. Here she glides
leisurely round the garden, showing her tasteful
robe to the best advantage, or she reads a little—(a
very little)—or chatters with her companions round
the tables on the terrace. At 2 o'clock she has a
substantial lunch; and at half-past five the com-
pany all swarm to their respective hotels to dinner.
At 8 o'clock they return—this time in fresh dresses,
and stay until 11 or 12. Of course there is a list
of amusements, following closely upon one another.
This afternoon there is a children's bell—
one of the
prettiest sights, by the way, in a civilised society ;
another, there is a ball for adults; two evenings a
week French comedy is played by a competent
troupe of actors; and concerts are constantly go;ng
on. This is the French holiday at the seaside,
music, dress, and comedy. The sea is only an acci-
dent, to be looked at as a curious monster; and the
country is to be studied in the pages of MM.
Miehelet and Lamartine.”

MRS. CHARLES SELBY is announced as about to
open the New _Royalty Theatre with an original comedy,
in two acts, written uy her late hueband, and eutitled
" Court Gallants."