The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-08
IN IN.
Huubnnds' and Fathers Parade at the Park
Concerts or tho Unconsoiidated.

The Brooklyn man is a homo body. He does
not like to wander from his OWE front stoop.
After he has put the baby to bed and finished his
chores around the back yard flower garden 1t
does not occur to him TO go to the theatre or tho
beaches. His preference is for his brownstone
step, from which he can observe the divided
skirts Of his sisters. cousins, and aunts whirlinR
by in the dizzy procession Of wheolwoinen. This
development of the domestic instinct in the
Brooklyn man has been observed by a New
Yorker temporarily obliged, through no fault of
his own, to live among the unconsolidated.
"The women of Brooklyn get their entertain
ment on their wheels. at their PRAYER meetings.
They are five to a man on bicycles, three to n
man at prayer meetings, and SIX or seven toa
% %ns ~ The tn average 1sD..Ss B sro Q woman IAN is not pray "
Ing she is spinning along the Ocean Parkway or
lettering across town with a hundred OF her SIS
"The tastes OF the Brooklyn man are SO differ.
ent that | often wonder now families, hold to-
gether. He doesn't seem to find any diversion
In prayer meetings, and he avoids the trolley
except ON his way to and from business. A neat
new baby carriage delights him more than all
the diamond frames or loop frames IN the city.
A now invention In baby parasols ,fascinates
him more than. gears, and u douoie'hcadedg go
cart for twins cheers him more than any tan
dem the world has yet seen. So to Offset his
wife's diversions at prayer meeting and on the
parkway. he has his front stoop and his baby
carriage. Finally. to offset her trolley ride. he
has the concert in the park.
The concert in u Brooklyn park is a picnic
band in the park strikes up Hail Columbia it
is not TO inspire a throng OF young women out
p~arahing in their midsummer trocks. AS persons
accustomed to concerts in New York parks
a mans parade. fhe men 70 to this parade with
their children. Each pushes his carri IRe in the
long line winding round thc band stand, and each
has a child or two. just beyond the carriage age,
%clinging to hts coat skirts. 1t is a unique spec
tacle. A baby show or cake walk isn't 10 DO
compared with 1t for variety or instructivcness.
Most Of the men 80 TO these pare les in 81 ,ck
The few I have seen there in crash suits and
negligt shirts have been trowned on; they we're
strangers probably, obliged. like myself, through
no fault of their own. to live temporarily in
Brooklyn, and not acquainted with the Gus.
toms Of Kings county. The children, too. are
frilied to an extent that endangers their lie,
liberty. and pursuit OF, happiness. A few
women turn out to 81! on the park benches and
in gala attire. Brooklyn women do not inter.
fere with their husbands amusements; they
of their sex. and leave the baby-wh cling. con-
cert parades, and other masculine sports TO the
stronger scN.
After the band has half finished the pro-
gramme and has paused for wind. the husbands
sit down on the grass. Each arranges around
baby carriage the lunch which he has prepared.
He hrst quicts the baby with a cooky and then
the rest OF the children. For hve minutes there
is quiet. broken only by the sinscking of lips and
occasional walls for more cookies. Then the
husband and father fills his pocket drinking cup
from the nearest fountain, gives each child u
gulp Of water. brushes or tho crumbs. neatly
folds and replaces the napkin in the baby car
riage, and spruces himself up for tho second half
of the concert. The parade after lunch is like
the ono before. except that a few more women
stragRle In from the Parkway to observe tho
performance. just as men multiply in the lobby
of n New York church or theatre u little before
the service or play is over.
Tho whole performance lasts usually from /
to @ o'clock on a Saturday afternoon. 1t is worth
crossing the river to see. / have seen life in
several cities on both sides of the Atlantic, but,
as a free show. this parade of Brooklyn men with
their babies beats any free show given in any Of
them.
There is a mature bachelor In the neighbor-
hood In which | am living who does not approve
of the husbands and fathers baby parade-in
fact, does not approve oil babies in the park I'm
der any circumstances. After the lunch at last
Saturdays parade he sat down on a slice of
bread, butter side up, which had been laid on u
bench by u careless child and overlooked by the
father when he was tidying up. The bachelor
rose In wrath. picked off the bread, wiped away
the butter. and exclaimed loudly: oh for the
days of good King Herod. who killed all the
children
THAT bachelor Is n marked man to-day for
blocks around the park. All the husbands and
fathers look askance at him In the park. and de-
Bert any bench that he sits down on. They go
away making audible remarks not at all compli-
mentary to him. In fact, l heard one husband
and father say that he must come from Benson
hurAt."