The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-02
IN BROOKLYN.
More Observations or n New Yorker Au,onE
the Unconsoiidnted.

the Unconsoiidnted
The men who wheel the babies Of Brooklyn
seem to have well.de1ned ideas regarding the
discharge OF their family duties. Even the
casual observer must notice that they attend
conscientiously to the tasks in hand. They do
not gather in vivacious groups in the parks
and gossip, as do the nurse girls and young
mothers In New York. They do not linger
by the wayside to talk with the policemen,
while, their babies cry UNDECIDED or suck blank
space until overwhelmed by hiccoughs. A
Brooklyn man out with his baby rarely talks
to more than one person at q time, and then he
talks with one eye on the baby carriage. When
he sits down In the park he Ia kes care that only
one other man with q baby Is on the same
bench with him. While he reads his news
paper he keeps one foot on a carriage wheel
and one hand on the carriage box, SO that he
can respond to the FIRST gasp or gurgle with the
gentle joggle that soothes but does not ex-
hilarato. These observations have been made
In the last: weekly the Now Yorker who has
been obliged, through no fault of his own, to
live temporarily in Brooklyn.
II have in mind q well.dressed, black-eyed,
red-cheeked young man Of about 80 who wheels
his baby in the little park opposite my rooms
every morning during his wife's bicycle ride"
said the New Yorker. HE has the fathcriy
instinct, as developed in Brooklyn parks, to an
exemplary degree. His baby carriage Is q mar
vel, OF lace-trimmed parasol, wicker scroll work,
and niekel.plated wheels and axles. He evil
bright and spotiess as himself. / presume he
rises half an hour earlier that he may keep 1t
In 8 Se is %av s5ed III sash to habits tbs ff SE II, w Pier.
She rides a wheel of marvellous brightness and
may, have taken pains to inculcate in him q
similar spirit of neatness.
"No hlman.beins could: be more dcvoted:to
his baby than this model Brooklyn man. He
takes a seat near the park entrance. hangs a
rattle. q rubber button, a red cloth doll, and a
silver buttonhook on a string from the edge Of
squeeze to make the child good natured, and
then, begins running one eye up and down the
mans pages Of the newspaper. The other eye
two about the news for the man at the other
end Of the bench. Sometimes he even takes out
but these diversions are rare. OF the hour he
passes pass @, IN the p Pc every morning, At least hfty,
baby. and his own newspaper.
.. The other day, when was taking an early
sss nSd t In tee p SnS t E yeSns g Ssgno1 s %aSs for hS ",
baby, wheeled, her carriage to the park early
and sat down between the model Brooklyn man
riages away from the young woman. They
S Nro3s With he sn0o Why 1 Was she Ss taki sSn eara q
the babyi Where was her bicyclei What was
he5 hd did It ba aolag a. i6a thf he t bas In Ief th ss mG to losE
after the. familyi These questions flashed
across their faces as they glanced at her suspi-
SAo eAA ApOh9s 10 bltANA rs W
say. she must be from Canarsie or New York
or jamaica But the young woman did not
seem, to realize her mistake. When the model
Brooklyn mans. baby tore the rubber button
loose she pinned it on again. She even poked
the baby under the chin and called it a dear
little, thing. That was too much for the model
Brooklyn man. He rose, stitf with indignation.
and trundled his carriage Off to another bench.
But the touch OF a woman's hand evidently
had disturbed the baby's temper Wall tier
wall came from the carriage. The young wo-
man was worried. Eventually she moved over
to the model Brooklyn mans bench and asked
him II his baby wasn't colicky. That also
was too much for the model Brooklyn
man. He answered CURLY that his baby
was not colicky.- Then wasn't it crying
for its mother. He said it wasn't, and an
icicle froze to each word as he said SO
Well, shouldn't she hold 1t O minute, anyhow,
and see II she couldn't quiet it, This was the
climax. The spirit of the model Brooklyn man
rose in might and he rose with it, pushing his
baby carriage Off with vigor down the walk
to the next bench.
at was a fine exhibition of sex spirit. The
woman had touched his pride and his conscience.
He was there TO take care of his baby and did
not intend to let anybody usurp his RESPONSE
bilities. He was motherly. / mean fatherly
all the way through. When be met his wife,
just finishing her spin down the asphalt, I
could see the consciousness of duty well done
shine out.all over him as he trundled along his
carriage by her wheel and, by q motion OF the
head, betrayed the fact that he was telling her
Of the woman who had annoyed him in the
park"