New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-12-17
The Night Court TO
Santa Claus

- 60 Santa Claus, as rule. hwy
have their dignity to maintain and
that of other folks They don't dare LET the
public find out that it's only the black robes
and the pale electric light that gives them that
judicial look
This year, though. they are vieing with the
little Jimmy Jcnknses and Rosie Sadowskys
of the East side in inditine a message to Saint
Nick. It isn't a present for themselves that
they want. bat one that they regard as most
importan, to their work. And
Dear Santa Claus" they are scribbling
with law books piled up in front of them to
cjle the impression that they are immersed in
studv). please send the Maedalen Home at
Invood $4,000 so that it may keep on moth
erinc the hayward girls of New York. $4,000
of IL must be there not later than January J.
1917"
OF course, no Santa Claus would dare refuse
ANYTHING so mandatory as a request of judge
for fear of being fined for contempt of court.
And SO Miss Janet Macconachie, superinten-
dent of The house, Mrs. Mary L. Paddon, its
executive secretary, are going ahead with
their arrangements for Christmas party
exactly as if they knew where their bread and
butter was coming from after January if the
public. which is Santa Claus in this case,
doesn't respond to the appeal.
A Christmas party at Inwood-on-the-Hud-
son, A kind Of rnoated castle. you know.
American style. cracking fires, holly every
where. an sorts Of carols, and 100 girls, all
under 90 years old, as the guests Of honor!
Doesntsit sound Just the most Christmasy
thing imaginable to you, in your stufy apart
ment or your furnished room? And it is
going to be Chrstmasy; not the less SO from
Inc fact that a year ago every girl of the 100
NEARLY all under twenty years old was
pickpocket or prostitute or a drug fend or a
thief or a drunkard
They look like boarding school or high
school girls, as they bend over their desks in
the school room Of the Magdalen Home at In
wood. or play basketball in the gymnasium or
co about their work in the kitchen or the laun-
drv. They arc like boarding school or high
school girls now that they have been mothered
for "a year in the home Perhaps that is all
that most Magdalens need, just mothering.
ANYHOW the records show that it is true Of
these Younger ones. Of the 100 the mothers
of 81 died before the girls were 10 years old;
81 others came without their mothers 70 Amer
lea before they were Is; and the mothers Of
the GREAT majority of the others were drunk
ard, or fceble-minded. or so hard-worked that
they had no time TO look after the children.
Eiehty-hye years ago the Magdalen Home
was founded for girls who hadn't been able
to find riotberinc elsewhere in two little
hired rooms on am upper floor in Carmine
street. Three thousand dollars and mort
cage enabled it. to get out in the country, up
ON Eiphtv-eighth street, between Fourth and
Fifth avenues. II sold this property for
sl6S.O0o bought another home at Riverside
Drive and One Hundred and Thirty-ninth
street for S35.OOO sold it for S312,7O0, and
moved to Inwood -on-the- Hudson. where it is
to-day. It has kept itself alive by sheer bust
mes, acumen, and has never asked the public
for a Christmas gift until now.
81 am going to give you another chance"
Judge Barlow said t. a 17-year-old girl in
night court, about year ago. Il am going
to give You the very best chance know any
thing about. am going to send you to the
Nagdaen Home
That was Greta. Her lover had sent her
the money to come from Russia to marry him
lie had put her on the street to make money
for hmm. just as she came from the Storage
with her pink, peasant cheeks and her shy
eve. She still believed that he was to marry
her.
She came TO the Magdalen Home, and lis
tened stohdy as its gates were locked behind
her. In the reception room she was greeted
with smile-the first time any one had
smiled al her in that way in America. Then
she was given a bath and a new dress, and
put at a table with other girls at dinner.
They were the first other girls she had talked
10 in America.