THE CHILDREN'S DAY.

The children of the city of Brooklyn, Long Island, are fortunate in having a day of their own when they have the right of way. The schools, public and private, are closed, and some of the finest streets are given up to the little folk on the day of the annual Sunday-school parade.

For weeks before May 24 bright eyes were wide with pleasure whenever the "Anniversary" was mentioned. In the various schools special songs were practiced, and mothers, whether rich or poor, were very busy at home in making the pretty dresses and suits which were to be worn on the occasion. At last the time drew near.

Then the little hearts had only one anxiety—the weather. Would it rain? Would it be clear? Oh, how many little people spelled slowly through the newspaper reports the day before, and lisped their opinions about the probabilities! The joy was great when the sun rose on Wednesday, and the sky was as blue and soft as if it had just been swept free of cloudy cobwebs on purpose for the Brooklyn procession.

At 11 a.m. the City Hall bell pealed out grandly, and its tones were answered by church bells all over the city. There was a perfect chorus of chimes.

Noon had scarcely struck when the pavements were thronged with boys and girls hastening to their several schools. There the exercises consisted of addresses and music. As soon as these were ended, the parade began. There were 60,000 children in movement at once through the beautiful tree-shaded avenues: 112 Sunday-schools took part, arranged in seven divisions. They marched, with banners flying, to the music of military bands, which played their most triumphant strains. Mottoes, emblems, flowers, white dresses, rainbow ribbons, floating curls, and cheerful faces altogether made a pageant which it did tired people good to see. Twenty-three schools formed the Prospect Park division.

The Park itself had been dressed by nature in the brightest of green and the loveliest of early-blooming shrubs. The long meadow with its velvet sward was staked off for the children's evolutions, and protected from the crowd by genial policemen. On the grand stand sat his Honor the Mayor, and with him were a number of clergymen, and persons of official dignity.

Brooklyn has been called the City of Churches. She might be styled the City of the Innocents, so many lovely little ones does she gather every year at her wonderful May Anniversary.

When the march was ended, the scholars returned to their places of meeting, where they were feasted on cake and ice-cream before going to their homes.

No doubt some of them were a little weary, but not too much so to prevent their sleeping sweetly after their happy day.

THE CHILDREN'S DAY—FIFTY-THIRD ANNIVERSARY OF THE BROOKLYN SUNDAY-SCHOOL UNION.