Imperial Valley press., 1913-11-24

New York, Nov. 24-Note to edit
orS: Mayor Ardolph Kline, filling in
the hiatus between the late Mayor
Gaynor and the next mayor, Mitchell,
made a Ten Eyck a municipal judge
the other day. 1t was not US.
Those who are old-fashioned
enough to believe that for a dissatis-
fed husband or wife to obtain di-
vorce is blight on their good names
that can never be erased, should call
some Wednesday at the County Court
House, the massive stone structure
on the outskirts of City Hall Park,
Obtaining a divorce nowadays in
New York is like attending per-
formance of East Lynne" "Shore
Acres" or "Uncle Toms Cabin" in
the old days. The audience used to
chew candy, talk about the neigh
bors and in other pleasant ways kill
time until the curtain went up. Then
while Little Eva went to Heaven,
through the dusty flies, or the heroine
in East Lynne" coughed herself to
death, they used to weep handker
chiefs full of tears. Afterwards,
while the orchestra played the blue
Danube" or something else, the can
dy, gossip and laughter would come
INTO play again. And so it is with
obtaining a divorce-an undefended
divorce in the New York Supreme
Court.
Outside of the divorce mill in the
County Court House, which is just to
the right of the elevated entrance on
the second floor, is a spacious alcove.
In this space the divorce seekers gath.
er. They are mostly women, happy,
laughing, chattering, carefree crea-
lures. If they are mothers of child
rem who can walk, they have the
children with them, and the little
ones do everything that is disturbing
in a court house. They get between
the serious looking judges legs, shout,
scream, and do everything but fall
down the elevator shaft y
Every woman who goes to the di-
vcrce court is happy. She probably
would not be after divorce if she
were not happy, joyous that is, in the
anticipation of having the triple
plated joy of a divorce-freedom, hap
piness and alimony. Before her law
yer tells her it is time to go inside
the courtroom for the gala event, she
laughs and jokes with the audience,
her friends who have come to be
present She talks about the newest
play and the style of some sister di-
vorcee's gown.
But once inside the courtroom a
change is apparent. 1t is change
from the gay to the grave. The buoy
ancy of the plaintiffs step is gone.
The smile that only a moment before
wreathed her face has vanished, and
she stands, a detected and sad sister
who appeals to the majesty of the law
for separation from a brutal and
faithless husband. The tears are close,
but they do not come until she is
called to the witness stand to answer
the routine questions. With the first
query comes a stray tear. With the
question "Have you condoned the of
fense?" comes a rivulet of brine and
when she is commanded to produce
your marriage certificate, madam"
the flood gates are opened and the
salty spray moistens a cheek that for
one day in her life, at least, knows
neither rouge nor rabbits foot.
The closing of the door behind the
new recruit is like the falling of the
curtain on the ascension of Little
Eva or the death of the tubercular
lady in East Lynne" The tears dis
appear, the gossip is resumed, and the
heart that only moment before sob
bed out its tale of woe, is resplendant
with the happiness that comes from
genuine joy.
New York girls do not know how