"On the River" (Sur l'Eau) by Guy de Maupassant

Published 1890.

lugubrious: looking or sounding sad and dismal

The picture used is "The Little Stream" (1889) by Vincent van Gogh

To follow along: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/3082/3082-h/3082-h.htm#link2H_4_0009

This is one of those pieces that's really just about the atmosphere, not much action to speak of.