THE ELITE OF MEANNESS.

Observer, Volume 7, Issue 233, 28 February 1885, Page 3

THE ELITE OF MEANNESS.

Here is a good idea for some enterprising literary genius who is cudgelling his brains for materials for a new book. Compile and publish "A Biographical Dictionary of Champion Mean Men and Women." The world is full of them, and the cry is "still they come." The other day a •' kerridge lady " sailed into the shop of a Queen-street fruiterer and called for " servants' strawberries." The good woman at the counter ran over a pretty long catalogue of various kinds of strawberries, "but said she had never heard of the species in question. " Oh, I didn't mean that," replied the representative of wealth and fashion, " I meant the kind of strawberries to give to servants." The missus of the shop was still puzzled. In her blissful ignorance of the ways of some of the elite she could only retort that she had always been under the impression that servants ate precisely the same kinds of strawberries as their masters •and mistresses. ,

Perhaps the lady (?) who wanted to be supplied with "servants' strawberries" was the same ornament to the " hupper suckles " who went some time ago into a grocer's shop, bought a shilling's worth of potatoes, returned ~~2_ext day and asked the selling price per cwt., fi-id; on receiving the very lowest quotation, replied, "Well, I will send back that shilling's worth I bought yesterday, and you can send me a hundredweight." While lam on this subject, perhaps I may be allowed to gwe two other instances. A fair ricliesse bought a tin of herrings at a shop in Auckland, took out two, and returned the rest ! She after- ' wards visited the shop of a Shortland-street upholsterer, and selected a wall-bracket for >-two or three shillings. Scenting an opening * for business the firm sent a man to fit up that bracket in the gorgeous drawing-room. He had just completed his task, and was taking a critical survey of his work, when who should enter but the head of the household. "What's this?" he asked, with lofty dignity. The man respectfully explained. "Remove it at once, and take it back! I don't want it !" sternly commanded the irate master of the house, and back it went accordingly. No wonder some people contrive to get rich in Auckland. If Mr Murphy dared to put such a slight on his Bridget, \^hat a i

case of assault and battery there would be in the Court next day !