The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1910-11-23
HAPPIER IN TENEMENT HOME
BANKER SAYS WIFE DISDAINED
NEW YORK MANSION.

Husband Has Become Prosperous
and Has Social Aspirations.
From the New York Times.
Efforts made to find Mrs. Mary
Bernardini, who last July left her
husbands fifty-room mansion on
Staten Island and is now suing him
for a separation, proved fruitless.
Mrs. Bernardini was siad to be some
where in the Bronx.
81 wish 1 knew where to find her."
exclaimed Bernard Bernardini, who
is a wealthy banker. "She has three
of my sons and my only daughter
with her. 1 want my children.
Il am going to appeal to the APP
pellate division of the supreme court
to set aside Justice Bijur's verdict
awarding alimony pending trial. l
maintain that there was no reason
whatever for her leaving my home.
l gave her everything. When l Of
fered her servants she ~efused them.
She would have brought up my chill
dren as peasants"
Charles LIE Barber, Bernardini's
attorney, described the case yester-
day as tragedy.
Here" he said, 1--WE have a wo-
man who has remained a peasant
while her husband has become a pro-
gressive business man with social as
pirations. She clings to a peasant
mode of life. A mansion and SER
wants make her uncomfortable. She
is happier in tenement. With hun
dreds of dollars at her command, she
still wishes to live on 25 cents a day.
She brings up her daughter to do
hard homework, to churn and make
butter. In word, she is utterly UNI
able to adjust herself to her new
mode of life"
Michael Bernardini, a son of the
couple, is a student at Georgetown
University, Washington, D. c. Mo-
desto and Philip, two other sons,
were educated in Europe. In his
affidavit to the court Mr.. Bernardini
said:
Il built for my wife and family a
luxurious and expensive home, in
tended for our comfort. No sooner
was the construction begun than she
became dissatisfied.
Though she had the privilege of
obtaining dresses and other clothing
against my account in department
stores. nevertheless she would pur-
chase clothing out of date and out
of season, and then lay the garments
aside and wear them two or three
years later. At times she would buy
expensive clothing and never wear
them. They would become moth
eaten"
On one occasion, Bernardini says,
he bought hat for $50 for his wife
to wear to the opera with him. She
put on cheap straw hat and re-
FUSED to go to the performance in
the more expensive one. She seemed
to regard good clothing as too fine
to be worn, he said.
Instead of dressing herself in a
betting manner" he continues,
and consistent with my business
position she would go around in a
shabby, loose and slovenly way and
show the public generally how ap-
paFently poverty stricken she was,
causing ridicule to me-"
His difficulties in giving his chill
dren the education which his means
empowered him to obtain for them
is recited thus in his affidavit:
Il have always directed the educa-
ton Of my children and have endeav-
ored to have them instructed not only
on absolutely necessary subjects,
but also in accomplishments
My wife has always been opposed
to having them attend the schools
and study the accomplishments to
which l have referred. She quar-
relied with the private teachers whom
| had engaged and made it impos-
slble for the children's education to
be obtained as l desired.
Il have made strenuous objection
to my little daughter washing dishes
and scrubbing floors, telling my wife
that it was not necessary, but she
has insisted upon it that the little
girl should do this hard and unneces-
sary work, including the making of
butter"