The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-08-12
FRENCH SUMMER RESORTS.
Watering Place Letters by E. c.
Grenville Murray--.N0. 2.
Lively Sketches of Charm
ing TrepOrt.

TREPoRT, July Is, 1873.
came over from Dieppe this morning on an exc
cursion to Treport, which is a watering place for
those who want rest, and who Of course, get much
less OF it here than they would in large town.
These quiet bathing retreats remind me Of those
perfectly tranquil streets where every sound OF
cart wheels, dog barking organ grinding and child
sQualling breaks on the ear like trumpet through
the keynote. The only quiet streets are those
where carriages roar the whole day long and
drown all other noises; and quiet watering place
u one which contains SO many people intent on
their own enioyments that the eccentricity OF @
truant Individual, who wishes to amuse himself in
his own way or not TO amuse himself at all, may
pass unnoticed. A man can lead hermits life in
LONDON, PARIS, DIEPPE OR BRIGHTON;
i defy him to have single hour he can call his
own in sucn place as Worthng or Treport, where
every new arrival Is looked upon as fresh candle
Eercfully sent by Providence to tighten the gen.
eral darkness have friend here who Is bound
by treaty to deliver q play in three acts to the
manager OF the Gymnase in the first week OF Octo-
Der, and he has been telling me his lamentable
Odyssey all the afternoon. He arrived here on the
LIST Of the month, intending to give himself ninety
clear days. but he had no sooner unwrapped his
p0rtmanteau than he was waited upon by the
Mayor, with an invitation to banquet by rusti-
eating bishop, who called with his blessing and
subscription list; by deputation OF visitors, who
felt sure he would help them organize some private
theatricals and write few charades for them, and
by the local editor, who scaled his staircase three
steps at a time and nourished before him par =
graph announcing his expected arrival and hailing
all mankind to hurry to IrepOrt and see him. The
result is, my young friend has not written line Of
his play, though he has racked his head awry over
charade, for as usual the theatricais to serve
charitable end-perhaps a free gift OF curing
tOngs to negroes-and it is so difficult to refuse
curling nigger's hair, fyou are exhorted to this
kind act by
BEvY OF PRETTY FRENCHwOMEN,
with eyes like damsons. man need not be a
popular playwright, however, to undergo that
species Of social martyrdom which consists in being
drawn and quartered by contending factions
on the hunt for something to do. In towns like
TrepOrt the Mayor Is iniallIbly at logger
heads with the parish priest, and you must
take side in this important dispute, which involves
the question as to whether the Municipal Council,
being mostly inddels, had right to reject vote
for supplying the church beadle with O new swal-
low-tail coat. 1t is painful to think that can
not back out Of this debate by suggesting that
coat; but such recommendation would be viewed
In censoriOus spirit, as evidencing tortuous
mind, prone to deal fippantly with religious sub
Iects Besides, the Juge de Paix has put his finger
into the pie, whereupon the wife OF the district
Tax Receiver-whO has also dipped into the pie,
but on the opposite side of the dish-declares that
the Judges wife has false tooth; so that after
this II you are caught talking to this lady
1t is quite clear you hold to the belief
that the Receivers wife uses Persian hair
dye-a base imputation which you ought to be
ashamed Of yourself for countenancing. say
nothing OF the scheme set on foot for building
museum OF shell FISH, nor OF the vrulent cOntro-
versy as to whether the facade Of the edihce
should be OF the Corinthian or Doric order; for
communities with small means are always building
something, and 1t Is quite natural they should try
to compass their moneys worth by having good
hgnt about the architecture. l also pass over the
delicate topic OF a projected donkey race and the
exasperated discussions as to who was RESPONSE
BILE for its falling through but it is not so easy to
pass over
THE POLITICS,
though, to be sure, If you carefully abstain from
saying word in disparagement of the Count de
ChambOrd, and keep cautious tongue when men.
tiOning the Bonapartes, and observe wise pru-
dence in abiding to the Orleans princes, and
never on any account critlcise MacMahon, Theirs
or Gambetta, you may Just manage to offend no.
body in particular and be cassed by all parties in.
distinctly rs simplet0n.
But to return to my start from Dieppe dill.
gence leaves for Treport three times day, and
takes you the fifteen miles in about three hours
and for three francs, extra charge for the jolt.
Ing. The driver wears blue blouse and tries to
irighten himself and passengers into the delusiop
that he has FESTIVE team TO deal with, for he
screams Hue ~ and "DOucenlent ~ to his three
gaunt horses, who lave no need for such remon-
STRANGE to refrain from boiling with the diligence,
which resembles an omnibus turned dropsical. A
coupe Cor any one two travellers who care to sit
alone and enjoy an unbrOEen view Of the
horses knotted tails) cuts or the front OF the
diligence from the body, and e similar belve-
dere above goes by the name of tmperdale
and is resorted to by wayfarers who like plenty OF
dust and hot air Whine j0urneying. There are No
seats beside the coachman, so that worthy, who
likes talking with the sitters in the imperiale has
10 conduct the conversation with his head screwed
over his shoulder as II he had crick in the neck.
But he is not jovial soul and reminds you in no
wise Of
AN ENGLISH STAGE cOAcHMAN,
whose talk and laugh are buoyant and fresh as
healthy weather. French officials, by the way,
never are joval while exercising their func tons,
and q diligence driver with the mail bags behind
him not only considers himself an Official but feels
1t incumbent upon him to make his dignity felt,
lest needless folk should forget 1t. So he emits his
opinions in an oracuar strain, talks Of the crops
on the road as If he had planted them all himself
but felt doubtful OF their success by reason
of nature not having consulted him before regu-
iating her rain supply. He expectorates tobacco
Juice at duly marked intervals in the discourse,
and rolls his quid from one cheek to the other
when he wants time to consider a dubious point.
AT the scraggy post inn, where We stop to change
horses, he is a man to accept glass of red wine,
but is too proud to make any hints for such refresh
ment; neither will he, like an Englishman, nod
briefly and say, "'Eres to your 'elth, sir |" but
simply fingers his cap condescendingly and
mumbles, "a Ia u0tre ~ The road from Dieppe to
Ireport Is like most French roads, clean, straight,