At Etretat almost everybody swims and
wears a costume of blue serge, trimmed with scarlet, or other bright
colour; and everybody sits in the afternoon in the gay little bay,
purchases shell ornaments and useless souvenirs, sips coffee or ices,
and listens to the band. For a very little place, without a railway, and
with only two good hotels, Etretat is wonderfully lively and attractive;
and the drives in the neighbourhood add to its natural attractions.
The show is nearly over for the season, at Etretat, by the time we leave
it; the puppets are being packed up for Paris, and even the boxes that
contained them will soon be carted away to more sheltered places. It is
late in September, and the last few bathers are making the most of their
time, and wandering about on the sands in their most brilliant attire;
but their time is nearly over, Etretat will soon be given up to the
fishermen again--like the bears in the high Pyrenees, that wait at the
street corners of the mountain towns, and scramble for the best places
after the visitors have left, the natives of Etretat are already
preparing to return to their winter quarters.
It is the finest weather of the year, and the setting sun is brilliant
upon the shore; a fishing-boat glides into the bay, and a little
fisher-boy steps out upon the sands. He comes down towards us, facing
the western sun, with such a glory of light about his head, such a halo
of fresh youth, and health, as we have not seen once this summer, in the
'great world.
Pages:
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170