The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-08-23
TIE LEARNED GsoCAR.
He Says There Is no Suoh Thing as
Dried Currants, and Tells Why.
From The NeU YorI; Sun.

Dried Currants, and Tells Why.
From the Neto York Sun
"Mother wants pound Of dried cur
rants >" said a little girl who came into the
learned grocer's store on Eighth avenue.
II hain't got II dried cIrrant In the store,
and there hain't one in the city" replied the
grocer. "But know what you want, and
I've got EN-" The learned grocer brought
forth box of the little sticky, sugary, dried
fruit popularity known as drie1 currants,
and used in fruit cake, plum puddings,
mince pies, buns and the like.
"Why, them's emp said the little girl.
eyes, them's EN-" assented the grocer
"and if the Grecian maiden who trod this
particular lot of fruit into the package had
used a little water on her feet before she
beaa there wouldn't be SO much sand and
grit in ,em as there is. She must have been
having a regular hoe-down on the classic
sands before she began to dance on this box
Of fruit. There, sissy, tell your mother she
must battle 'em in several waters before she
uses 'em, or she might just as we'll put lot
of saudpaper in her fruit cake. And tell
her they amt dried currants, either"
Whats the reason they amt dried cur>
rantsl" asked 6 disputative customer.
"They amt dried currants any more than
they're dried pumpkins ~ replied the grocer
1.-THE reason they amt dried currants is
that they weren't currants bsfore they were
dried. That's reason enough, amt it"
Eyes" said the customer, less disputa-
tive. ''But what does everybody call EN-
dried currants forp
"'Cause they don't knowlany betterr re-
piled tue grocer. They'll go right on coming
in here and asking for dried currants just
the same after tell 'em why they amt
ts fbou nj hafDra
"What should they ask for, then" in-
quired the customer.
"If any man should ever come in here and
ask for dried corinths," said the grocer, ''he
would not necessarily be gentleman, but
I'd bet on him for being a scholar. Dried
corinths is what you should ask for when
you want this little sugar-coated, gritty
raisin, for it's raisin, pure and simple"
"How's thatp the customer wanted to
know.
because il was a grape before it was
dried u said the grocer, land il dried grapes
amt raisins. what are theyT
"But you said these were dried corinths, "
said the customer. whats q corinth,
anyhow A. .,.,,o.. r-.,o ,,..
grows" replied the grocer, land it lost its
name years and years ago, because it was
gradually corrupted into currant, which
became the name OF Tue dcluuidGoo HJtle
berry Of our garden, which you might dry
from now until Gabriel sounds his
horn without getting it any nearer
the condition Of raisin than pea is. This
little grape grows all over the islands of the
Grecian archipelago, and was first exported
from Corinth, and that's what gave it its
name. Tho punches don't grow much big
ger than a stem of red currants, and they
are SO full Of sugar that when they are
picked and dried in the sun they actually
seem to melt and run together, aud it takes
a good deal of care and labor to separate
them again. After they are separated
is the time when the Grecian maiden
gets her work in on them, for 1t is one of
her pleasant dutieJ to jump on heap of the
sticky fruit with her bare feet until she has
compressed enough Of the little raisins to
pile three boxes into one. No hydraulic
press could do It any better. II It could.
we wouldn't have the sand and grit the
mnidens' feet mingle with the fruit, without
which no dried corinths are genuine.
"5till, shall expect folks to come in here
and ask for dried currRnts just the same, -
said the learned grocer. as he went to wait
on d new customer.