New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-28
SANTA REyERSES
DIVORCE ENGLISH
Parted for Sake of Chill
dren, Aldriches Meet for
Same Reason.
TO MAKE KIDDlES
HAPPY on CHRISTMAS
What's a Court Decree Between
Parents? Say Diva and Engi-
neer. Who Celebrate.

This barring the evidence OF the cal
endar. is a Christmas story.
IL isn't a Christmas story in the sense
that Santa is TO be found in the drama
it's persone. or that any one concerned
gives any concrete present TO any one
else. Merely il bobs up before the echo
Of the bells OF the Claus equipage has
died away-and. although the big hap
penings were over couple OF months
ago, it all grew on: Ct pair OF grown
up wishes that two small persons
should have a number Of merry Christ
masses.
There are four principals On the
story. The first is Nine. Marsha Aid
drch. who sings in the opera. The sec
ond is j. Frank Aldrich, who used TO be
Representative from the lst Congress
sional District of Illinois until he gave
I'D his seat to james r. Mann, and who
is now civil engineer Principal No.
3 is Meeka Aldrich. who is twelve years
old and occupied with the three RS
and the rudimentary social graces in a
school at Mamaroneck. And last is
Meekas brother. Fred. who goes TO
school at Great Darlington, Mass.
The point Of the story partakes
largely Of what is colloquially termed
the reverse English Thousands OF
parents remain together for the sake
Of the children. That is an old theme.
Ii is for the sake Of their children, con-
versely, that J. Frank Aldrich and Nine.
Mariska Aldrich are divorced.
What Is Divorce at Christmas?
What brought the story up was q
well authenticated report that Mr..
Aldrich and Mime Aldrich. though the
laws Of irreverent man had put them
asunder, had spent Christmas Day to-
gether in MIR. Aldrich's apartment, at
1880 Broadway. Mr.. Aldrich was host;
Nine. Aldrich sang and was guest Of
honor the rest Of the time, and the
children were deluged with presents.
And what made the story seem to con-
form even more closely TO the conven-
tiols of news" was Mr.. Aldrich's
somewhat nettled remark. when a re-
porter appeared at the door, that meet
ings with madame were not unusual for
him, divorce regardless.
The plot OF the story, as it comes
from an old friend Of the family, is
built on a new viewpoint of the divorce
question. After eight years OF married
life. TO illustrate, madame went abroad
to sing in the Berlin opera She could
not give up her career. When she re-
turned five years later she discovered
that she and her husband. who was
twenty-eight years older than she at
the time of their marriage, and who
had not grown younger in the period
Of separation, no longer had the same
tastes.
Illustrating further the plot, the
Aldriches, becoming aware they
couldn't be happy in the same house,
began TO think about dividing them
selves between two houses. But the
realization OF their personal incom-
patability didn't keep them from seeing
the situation from the children's eyes.
So long "a they lived together. they
agreed. their home could not be an
ideal one for Meeka and Fred Yet a
divorce OF the conventional sort would
be even worse for the children.
Two Heads Worked Out Plain.
Two heads are better than one
particularly when one is the magma
tive head OF diva and the other the
practical head of an engineer. Mr..
Aldrich and madame, amicably work
ing over their problem, both full of
love for the children, figured out a
plan. Madame went 10 Missouri and
established a residence. She got a di-
vorce last October Fl on grounds that
wouldn't have gone for a minute in
/ New York-incompatability OF tenn
permanent, non-support and desertion
Her husband didn't defend the action
So now comes the story itself. which
isn't nearly so long as the pre-
liminaries.
Meeka and Erei are goinc 10 have