NEW ZEALAND CHERRIES

Kumara Times, Issue 971, 10 November 1879, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND CHERRIES

The following amusing story is told by the San Francisco Post: —Yesterday a fouit dealer on Market street, incensed at the liberties taken by the loafers with his ware displayed at the door, placed a half a gallon of Cayenne peppers in a basket, labelled it "New Zealand Cherries," and hung it in a conspicuous place in front of his stand. In a few minutes the nextdoor merchant sauntered up, inquired how trade was, picked up a New Zealand cherry, placed it in his mouth, and suddenly left to attend a customer. The Rev Dr Bolly next rounded to, observed that the yellow fever news from Memphis was not very encouraging this morning, and ah! it had been years since he had eaten a New Zealand cherry ; whereupon he ate one, remarked that it was superb, wiped his weeping eye with his coat sleeve, supposed that New Zealand was getting warmer every year, wised the dealer good morning, and departed, lamenting the growing weakness of his eyes in the sunlight. A chronic dead-beat then came up, took a mouthful of cherries spluttered them out, with an imprecation, all over the fruit, stuffed a pear, a banana, and a bunch of grape 3 into his mouth to take out the taste, informed the dealer that he would have him prosecuted for keeping green fruit, and went down the street to the pump. A lady with two children next appeared, stopped to admire the cherries, asked if she mightened taste of them—she had neverfseen any before—supplied the children and walked away—walked away with a face fiery with scorn and anger, and the children Bet up a howl that brought all the people to the doors and windows, and drove all the policemen off the street. Thus the fun went on all the morning. The fruit dealer never laughed so much in his life. The occupants of the adjacent and opposite stores and a shoal of small boys soon learned what was up, and watched and joined in a ringing roar as each new victim tried cherries. Finally a solemn looking countryman lounged up, inquired the price of them 'ere New Zealand cherries, invested in a pint, put one in his mouth, took it out again, gave the fruit dealer a look of mild reproach, pulled off his coat, and "waded into" him. When he left, the fruit man with tendencies to practical jokes had a blue eye, a red-nose, a purple face, a sprained wrist and several bushels of fruit scattered around among the small boys, while the ringing roar of laughter was going up from the lookers on.