20 OCCASIONAL HAPPY THOUGHTS. 



Chinton replies, that it's an official term for no drainage at 

 all. 



Barnley denies this. 



Happy Thought. — As they are both getting warm on the 

 subject, drop it, and remark that there can be no doubt 

 about Boulogne being a pleasant place to stop at. 



" Depends for how long," says Barnley. 



" Yes, and what sort of a place you like," says Chinton. 



" It's healthy enough," observes Barnley. 



"If you once get acclimatised to the absence of drainage," 

 remarks Chinton. 



"Not absence, Chinton/' interposes Barnley, hotly. "Not 

 absence." 



" Say ' superficial,' " I suggest ; not having the slightest 

 idea of what I mean by it. 



The word acts like a magic soothing syrup on them. 



* This conversation led to some results ; good 1 hope. The lollowing 

 translation appeared in L Impartial, a local paper, which commented 

 upon it with a view to sanitary reform at Boulogne. — Lc Void! : — 



BOULOGNE-SUR-MER. 



" Je suis venu a Boulogne avec un billet de retour ; j'y dois passer un 

 jour ou deux tandis que mes bons amis en Angleterre me cherchent un 

 cheval. 



"Me voici sur le port ; la mer est basse. Pouah ! quelle horrible 

 odeur ! C'est infect ! Un de mes amis, qui connnait Boulogne, me 

 dit que ce sont les egouts. 



" Un ami qui connait mieux Boulogne que I'autre, me dit que non, que 

 9a ne provient pas des egouts, par une excellente raison : Boulogne n'a 

 pas d egouts. 



