" NEW ZEALAND CHERRIES."

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 936, 29 October 1879, Page 2

" NEW ZEALAND CHERRIES."

Yesterday a fruit-dealer on Marketstreet, incensed at the liberties taken by the loafers with his: ware displayed at the door, placed a half a gallon of Cayenne peppers m a basket, labelled it " New Zealand Cherries," and hung itin a conspicious place m 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 m his mouth and suddenly left to attend to a customer. The Rev Dr. Bolly next rounded to, observed that the yellow fever news from Memphis was riot 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 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 Qf his eyes m the sunlight. A chronic dead-beat than came up,, took a mouthful of cherries, spluttered them out, with an imprecation, all over the fruit, stuffed al 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 went down the street to the pump: A lady with two 'children 'next appeared, stopped to admire the 'cherries, asked if she mighn't taste of them-— she had never seen any !before — supplied the children and walked , away— walked away with a face fiery with' scorn and anger, while the children set up a howl that brought all the people to the doors and window, and drove all the policemen off the street. Thus the fun went on all the morning. The fruit dealer never laughed so much m all his life. The occupants qf the adjacent and opposite stores and a shoal of small boys soon learned what Was up, and watched and joined 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 m a pint, but one m his month, took it out again, gave the fruit-dealer a lingering look of mild reproach, pulled off his coat, and " waded into " him. When he left th« 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. — San Francisco Post.