Page:Every Woman's Encyclopedia Volume 1.djvu/83

 friend of the present Prime Minister's wife once said, Mrs. Asquith " not only loves politics, but loves to mingle in the political battle, and her wit, knowledge, and brilliancy add power to the elbow of her husband." In such a case, the pohtical work of a Prime Minister's wife does not begin and end with the holding of political meetings in drawing-rooms, or canvassing in boudoirs. She is a regular attendant at the House, and will be found touring the country with her husband at election times. During the General Election of 1910, Mrs. Asquith was her husband's constant companion during his speech-making tours, and whenever an important debate is taking place in the House she is usually to be found behind the grille. Mrs. Gladstone, of course, went down to the House regularly every night vith her husband, and generally stayed 65 LADY OF QUALITY to the King any persons eligible for Royal favour and vacant appointments. And there are some^misguided people who imagine that they can further their own interests in these directions by writing to the Premier's wife, asking her to use her influence on their behalf. As a rule, these letters are handed over to the Premier's private secretaries, and they arc dealt with according to their merits. Scores of letters, however, are received almost every day by the Prime Minister's wife from women and girls seeking to enlist her sympathy on their behalf, and scores of others from organisations and institutions asking for her patronage and support. These she usually deals with herself. And it is after this voluminous post-bag has been dealt with that the daily round of receiving and paying calls commences. The drawing'TOom until the end of the sitting ; but it was really only in order to attend to the creature comforts of the G.O.M. with that loving solicitude which was such a beautiful feature of their married life. On the other hand, Mrs. Asquith takes the keenest interest, not only in the delivery of her husband's speeches, but sometimes assists him in their preparation. When it is known, however, that the Premier's wife takes such a keen interest in politics as Mrs. Asquith does, she suffers for her enthusiasm by being inundated with letters from people of all classes who have real or imaginary grievances, or who wish for some pohtical favour. It must be remembered that the Prime Minister has it in his power to recommend Not the least onerous of the duties which fall to the lot of the wife of a Prime Minister is that of meeting foreign ambassadors, their wives and friends. It requires a woman of wide knowledge and consummate tact to meet them all on equal ground, so to speak. It is generally admitted that in this respect Mrs. Asquith is more suc- cessful than almost any of her pre- decessors. This, perhaps, is not surprising when it is remembered how in her early day she was wont to act as hostess for her father, the late Sir Charles Tennant, at his town mansion in Grosvenor Square, and made her drawing-room lamihar to all the leading writers, painters, orators, and savants of the day. Reference has already been made to the appeals which reach the Premier's wife from