410 COFFEE. 



bulk in small quantities. Under the counters are arranged, also, 

 a series of large drawers, in which are kept sugar, roasted coffee, 

 currants, raisins, and various farinaceous goods, the coffee-drawers 

 being tin-lined for the purpose of preserving the flavor, and only 

 a week's supply is furnished at a time. Every morning enough 

 coffee of the different grades is ground for the day's supply, and 

 kept in closed tin-canisters. A day's supply of sugar is also 

 kept, put up in convenient-sized packages, ready for immediate 

 delivery. Before the fruit is put into the drawers, the currants, 

 prunes, and Valencia raisins are cleaned or " dressed ; " this is 

 done, with currants, by breaking them up, sifting them in a sieve 

 with a square mesh about five to the inch, which lets the dirt and 

 pieces of stems go through, and then they ai-e sprinkled with a 

 dressing composed of one part of molasses or syrup to say two 

 parts of water, and shaken and rubbed about until they look 

 clean and bright. With raisins (except bunch fruit for dessert) 

 the same process is used, except that the meshes of the sieve are 

 an inch long and a quarter of an inch apart — a screen rather than 

 a sieve. Old fruit will sometimes be candied and wormy, but this 

 process removes the worms, renovates it, and renders it fit for 

 use. The rear of the store is occupied by hams and the coarser 

 kinds of goods. ISo butter and cheese is handled by grocers here, 

 the sale of those articles being a distinct business, and transacted 

 exclusively by the " cheesemongers," who are quite an important 

 class, much more so than in the United States. The English are 

 very large consumers of cheese, no meal being considered com- 

 plete without cheese with bread and butter being served as a 

 closing course ; and while they fondly cherish the illusion that 

 England produces the best cheese in the world, by far the larger 

 portion of their best " Cheshire " comes from the United States. 

 But to resume my description of the arrangement of the store. 

 A liberal floor space is kept clear for the use of customers, but along 

 the wall opposite the counter are arranged various goods, which 

 show well, including a few lemons, oranges, nuts, and other des- 

 sert articles. Along a portion of the front of the counter also is 

 suspended a shallow glass-covered rack, in which is a small assort- 

 ment of " fruits glacds " and choice confectionery, which is kept 

 fresh by frequent renewals, and by the door is a " biscuit rack," 



