Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1901-07-16
NOT DRIED CURRANTS
ALARMED GROCER COMMENTS UP
ON A COMMON MISTAKE.

The Tiny Fruit Used IN
.,ru.. Buns and the Like Are ha'-
sins Made From Little grapes "''
Are Grown In Greece.
"Afother wants a pound of DRIED CUT
rants" said little girl who came lnto
the learned grocer's store in t'gn'n
avenue.
~ hain't got dried currant in the
store and there hain't none in the city,
renljed the learned grocer but
know what you want, Sissy, and I've
got EN-"
The learned grocer brought forth
box of the little, sticky susary, gritty
currants used in fruit cake, plum pun
dings. mince pies, buns and the Ike.
"Why. them's 'em." exclaimed the
little girl.
Yes; tlleln's EN-" assented the gro
cer "and if the Grecian maiden who
trod this particular lot Of EN- INTO snip
shane had used little water or even
feather buster on her feet before she
began there wouldn't be so much grit
in 'em as there is. She must have been
having a regular hoedown on the Gas
sic sands before she began to dance on
this box of fruit. There, sissy; tell
your mother she must battle EN- in sew
era] waters before she uses 'eln, or she
might Just as well put lot of sandpa-
per in her fruit cake And tell her that
they amt dried currants either"
whats tbs reason they amt dried
currants?" demanded disputative
customer when the girl had gone.
"They amt dried currants any more
than they are dried pumpkins" replied
the grocer. 1.-THE reason they amt
dried currants is that they weren't cur
rants before they were dried. Good
reason enough, amt it"
"Yes," said the customer, less dispu-
tative than he was. But what does
everybody call them dried currants for
| them"
"'Cause they don't know any better"
said the learned grocer. They'll go
right on coming in here and asking for
| dried currants just the same after tell
'em why they amt dried currants as
they did before"
"What should they ask for, then?" in
| CURED the customer.
"If any man should come in here and
ask for dried corinths.' replied the
learned grocer, "he would not necessa.
| rily be gentleman, but I'd bet on him
being scholar. Dried corinths is
what you should ask for when you
want this little sugar coated. gritty
ralsin, for it's raisin pure and sim.
pie"
slows that" the customer wanted
to know.
Because 1t was a grape before It
was dried" said the grocer, land If raj
sins amt grapes what are theyY"
But you said these were dried cor.
lnths," persisted the customer. whats
a corinth, anyhow"
"A corinth is the smallest grape that
grows" replied the learned grocer.
land 1t lost its name years and years
ago because it was gradually corrupted
Into 'currant,' which became also the
name OF the calculated little berry Of
our garden. which you might dry from
now until Gabriel sounds bis horn
without getting it nearer the condition
Of ralsin than a pea is.
This little grape grows all over the
1slands Of the Grecian archipelago and
was 6rst exported from Corinth, and
that's what gave It its proper name.
The punches don't grow much bigger
than stem of red currants, and thew
are 30 full OF sugar that when they are
picked and dried in the sun they actu.
ally seem to melt and run together like
gumdrops. aud 1t takes a lot of care
and work to separate them again.
After they are separated is the time
when the Grecian maiden gets her
work In on 'em, for 1t Is one Of her
pleasant duties to jump on a heap Of
the sticky stuff with her bare feet until
she has compressed enough of the little
raisins to squeeze three boxes Of them
into one. No hydraulic pump could do
It better. If 1t could. we wouldn't have
the sand and grit the maiden's feet
m'ngle with the fruit. and without thai
no dried corinths are genuine.
stiil' shall expect folks to come in
mere right along and ask for dried cur.
rants just the same" said the learned
grocer as he went to wait on new ono.
tomer.-New York Press.
Pitch and Toss.
Inc professor happened in at tho
doctors the other mornino ond .us