The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-30
A RAINY SUBURBAN SUNDAY.
Not the Depressing Day of Melancholy
Known to City Homes.

Known to City Homes.
Suburban households are not overrun with
visitors from the city on rainy Sundays. The
New Yorker who Is not a devotee OF the
weather prefers the wet gloom of deserted
Fifth avenue TO what he imagines are the hor-
rors Of the rainy suburban Sunday. and thus
through ignorance he misses one of the most
characteristic and delightful aspects OF the
northern suburbs. The depressing gloom OF
the wet urban Sunday. when the cheerful as
pect OF the bustling workaday streets gives
place to silence and emptiness. has no parallel
in the sem-rural suburbs. No home. however
cheerful and luxurious, can altogether shut
out the pcrvasive melancholy OF the wet Sunday
in New York. The rainy Sunday descends
upon the northern suburbs not upon the wings
Of gloom but upon the wings OF peace. After
loud days OF sunshine and brilliant early
dawns that beat with pitiless alarums at bed
room windows, the day breaks with mild dif-
fused lights and soothing liquid sounds
friendly to late sumber The east brightens
slowly and slightly with subdued. pearly lus-
tres promising day OF rest. Even the church
bells have lost their imperative suggestion OF
unrest. for the rain brings balm to uneasy con-
sciences and every one Is content that the far
brazen tongues shall be suffered merely to &C.
centuate tho general peace.
rainy Sunday Is the one day upon which
the good suburban really breakfasts. On
working days his morning meal is gulped be-
tween uneasy thoughts OF train time and BUSH
ness: on bright Sundays there ia the imperti-
nent invitation Of the church bell to hurry him
from his chair But oil the rainy Sunday like
1he the %or5 Th" tex icy a. being
say Rcveille be damned!' and turn again to
shGmhSer 4, he GnSMreaG finds that Grant
bell only add zest to the leisure with which he
fingers over fruit and coffee. hot bread and
The liquid peace OF tho outer air comes in at
G T3r and windows, blessing all the house.
images Of peace, lush grasses greener than
their wont. the slightly swaying woodland.
trees that seem en- to drip LIQUID Grrenery into an
hood TO grass and trees itself tint OF green.
Good moist smells nI the air: wet boughs
the dun $ Ky seems low and friendly. It is a
nentral, day: neither, sorrow nor JOY is the
dued content which is better than either.
The workaday world is shut out by miles
life seems a dim memory. a thing belonging to
some other existence. Human voices are
H"Tn Tss,s on Th e spd and
disturber OF domestic tranquility dares suC-
Eehst any, any m ode Of actyty bodily o. mental,
drivs to ride, 70 wheel Mere idlenessS s seems sS
sum Of human wis dom.
Noon comes and goes unmarked and after
dark OF evening The day has worn. one
knows not how. and dusk settles not with
Candle light at dinner gives a Welcome touch
Of autumn to the day. and as the chill OF night
Of mid.July The fire comes like troptcaI
fruits at Christmas an .audacious luxury out
OF season and bizarre, giving the nnal touch OF
fire crackleS and the wholesome smell Of burn.
ing wood fills the house, one hears outside the
rising gust tho pattsr OF the raindrops upon
leaves and grass, the wet swish OF wind blown
bougha. until in the exquisite ssnse Of peace
Isolation and security tomorrow and its cares
seem nhantoms Of an imaginary future. and
hfe.itself one long rainy suburban Sunday.