a wholesale and retail business. Although she had no business education, had not even studied book-keeping, an<l hitherto had been wholly unacquainted with business, she made a marked success of this enterprise, and continued in it until the necessity was passed.
Convinced of the need of organized effort, Mrs. Fessenden started the Young Women's Christian Association of Sioux City, whose work
soon had a much wider scope than that of such organizations in larger cities. The Association rented an old building, where rooms were fitted up for the worthy poor. One room was converted into a chapel, and religious services were held there regularly the year round. A parlor organ, chandelier, and stove were given by this lover of humanity, and she held herself personally responsible for every service. During a season of great floods on the Mississippi mid- night often found her still superintending the lighting and heating of the building and the feeding and putting to bed of the hundreds of homeless sufferers who sought temporary shelter. Her own house was stripped of chairs for women with young children, and she did her utmost, both as an individual and as President of the Y. W. C. A., the organization having assumed the care of these needy people.
Just before leaving Sioux City, Mrs. Fessenden selected the site and measured the lot on which was to be built a home for the organization which she had for eight years served so faith- fully as President. Here stands to-day the Samaritan Hospital, carried on by the Y. W C. A. for over twenty years. Although other hospitals have since been built in Sioux City, this, the first, still has the confidence and the support of the community. In 1903, when Mrs. Fessenden revisited her old home, the trustees of the hospital gave her a fine reception in recognition of the fact that to her efforts they were indebted for the conception of the hosjjital.
In 1882 Mrs. Fessenden removed to Boston for the college education of her children. Her two daughters entered Boston University wilh the classes of 1886 and 1889, respectively, and later her son with the class of 1894.
After the graduation of her elder daughter Mrs. Fessenden took her family to I'An-ope, that Cornelia might prepare herself to take the d(>gree Ph.D. After six months of study and an illness of only three days this beautiful daughter was calletl to a higher sphere. This was a blow from which at first it seemed as if Mrs. Fessenden could not possil:)ly recover. Upon her return to America her friends |)revaile(l upon her to enter on work with the Oman's Christian Tem- perance Union. First she was made National Superintendent of Franchise. In 1890 she was unanimously elected to the office of State Presi- dent of the W. C. T. U. of Massachusetts, ami continued in that oihce for eight years. In 1898 she resigned the presidency to' become National Lecturer.
At the time of massacre of the Armenians by the Turks, in 1896, Frances E. Willard and Lady Henry Somerset sent about two hundred refugees to New York. By cable they recjuested Mrs. Fessenden among others to receive them at Ellis Islanil, and to overcome if possible the construction of law that might bar them from admission.
In carrying out her part of this work it be- came necessary for Mrs. Fessenden to visit New York three times, consulting with the commis- sioner of immigration and addressing ministers' meetings to secure their signatures to a petition to the United States government to call the.se jjeople "refugees" and not "immigrants." By this wording it was possible to avoid violat- ing a most beneficent law. It was necessary also for her to secure the signing of the bond for forty thousand dollars. The W. C. T. U. had to pledge that none of the refugees should ever claim government support. W'hen these details had been arranged, one hundred refugees went to the Massachusetts W. C. T. U. and one hundred to the Salvation Army. "With her one hundred Mrs. Fessenden took the ferry from Ellis Island, while from the grateful hearts of those who had gathere<l to help rose the beauti- tiful " Prai.se God, from whom all blessings flow."
To find work for these refugees ignorant of the language and customs of our country was a gigantic task. It fell chiefly on Mrs. Ruth Baker, the Corres])onding Secretary, Mrs. Fessenden's clo.se friend. At one time Mrs. I'essenden herself had a thrilling experience in rescuing some of these men from a place whitlier they had been led by false representations. It
