"NEW ZEALAND CHERRIES."

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 314, 13 November 1879, Page 3

"NEW ZEALAND CHERRIES."

Yesterday a fruit-dealer on Marketstreet, incensed at.the liberties taken by the loafers with his wares displayed at the door, placed a half gallon of Cayenne peppers in a basket, labelled it 11 New Zealand Cherries," and hung it in a conspicuous place in front of his stand, In ■ a few minutes the next-door merchant sauntered up, inquired how trade was, picked up a New Zealand cherry, placed it in his mouth, and suddenly left to attend to a customer. The Eev Dr Bolly next rounded to, observed that the yellow ■ fever news from Memphis was not very y-eflcouraging this morning, and—ah lit had been years since he had eaten a new Zealand cherry; whereupon lie ate one, remarked that it was superb, wiped his weeping eyes on his coat-sleeve, supposed that New Zealand was getting warmer every year, wished 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, stuffed a pear, a banana and a bunch of grapes into his ■ mouth to take out the taste, informed the dealer that he would have him prosecuted for keeping green fruit, and then went down the street to the pump, A lady with two children next appeared, stopped to admire the cherries, asked if she might taste them—she had never seen any before-supplied the children and walked away—walked away with a face fiery with acorn and anger, while the children set up a howl that brought all the people to the doors and windows, and drove all the policemen off the street. The occupant of the adjacent and oppo-

site 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 solemnlooking countryman lounged up, inquired the price of them 'ere New Zealand cherries, invested iij a pint, put one in his mouth, took it out again, gave the fruitdealer a lingering look of mild reproach, pulled off. his coat, and " waded into" him. When he left, the fruit-man with tendencies to practical joke 3 had a blue oye, a red nose, a purple face, a sprained wrist, and several bushels of fruit scattered around among the small hoys, while a ringing roar of laughter was going up from the lookers-on.—The San Francisco Post.