Possible Clues:

• Frenchman turning up in sombre attire or something naturally colourful?
• Decorative boughs without much colour that Frenchman cuts back
• Leaves English author really disheartened
• English writer, going by railway, leaves
• Author approaching line, leaves
• Leaves this for putting of course, perhaps
• Leafy vegetation
• The shade starts to give shade and leaves it
• Leaves writer lines
• Foliage etc