Her hospital was
flourishing along the lines of the policy which she had indicated, and
was feeling the advantage of her political prosperity. She was able to
give the petition in behalf of Mrs. Hamilton, which contained now
twenty-five thousand signatures, fresh value and solemnity by means of
an autograph letter from the Governor's wife, countersigned by the
Governor. This, with the bulky list of petitioners, she addressed and
despatched directly to Queen Victoria. Her presence was in constant
demand at all sorts of functions, at many of which she had the
opportunity to make a few remarks; to express the welcome of the State,
or to utter words of sympathy and encouragement to those assembled. In
the second month of her husband's administration, she had the
satisfaction of greeting, in her double capacity as newly-elected
President of the Benham Institute and wife of the Governor, the
Federation of Women's Clubs of the United States, on the occasion of its
annual meeting at Benham. This federation was the incorporated fruit of
the Congress of Women's Clubs, which Selma had attended as a delegate
just previous to her divorce from Babcock, and she could not refrain
from some exultation at the progress she had made since then as she sat
wielding the gavel over the body of women delegates from every State in
the Union.
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