TALKING TO THEM.
There is a fish-dealer in New York who has a large number of rich customers. Once or twice a week his store can be found full of ladies who are doing their own marketing. The dealer is all smiles to his customers on such days, and very anxious to keep their good-will and trade. For some time an Irishman had been coming in the place, and after going from stand to stand, and peering long and closely at the fish, he usually wound up by purchasing some cheap specimen of the finny tribe, and departing. This was annoying to the dealer when his place was full of customers, and so one morning when the Irishman entered and began going from one stand to another as usual, he called out:
"Look here, my good man, what are you always smelling my fish for?"
The question was heard by every one, and they all listened for the answer.
"Faith, oim not smellin' thim; it's talkin' to thim oi am."
"Talking, did you say?"
"Yis; sure oim askin' thim the news from the sea."
"Well," said the dealer, impatiently, "what did they say?"
"Sure, they didn't know, yer honor; they telt me they hadn't been there fer over a month."