The New York herald., 1872-12-23
A WOMAN IN THE PULPIT.

Interesting Afternoon Services mt At
torney street Methodist Protestant
Church-Sermon "The Christian
Martyrs by Mrs. Aldcrdice-St. Ste
phen.
The afternoon services yesterday at the Attorney
street Methodist Protestant church were OF deci-
dedly interesting, though rather usual character,
in consequence OF the pulpit being occupied
by the lady preacher, Mrs. NJ. A. Alderdice
This lady has frequently during the past
few months preached at this place Of worship, and
has usually attracted large and interested aud.
fences. Yesterday, however, doubtless in conse-
quence Of the inclement weather, the attendance
was not SO large. Mrs. Alderdlce is
LADY OF ABOUT FORTY YEARS OF AGE,
of medium stature and OF pleasant expression of
features. She is native OF Belfast, Ireland, and
was reared in Dublin. When about twenty years
old she went to Scotland and lived there some
eleven years. the combined results Of her North Of
Ireland nativity and Of her Scottish resi-
dence being that she has very pleasing
though by no means strongly marked
Scotch accent in her speech Indeed, its effect
seems TO be to give greater rhetorical force and
definition to her utterance. She has been engaged
in preaching 1or about twelve years--her first
effort in exhortaton from the pulpit having been
made in Dumbarton, Scotland. Since then
she has preached in England, Scotland and
Ireland and since June last, the period of her arr
val in the United States, she has preached prnci-
pally in the New York. She is an exceedingly ear.
nest and effective speaker and her lectures or
sermons are entirely extemporaneous.
Yesterday afternoon at three O'Clock she COM
menced course OF sabbath lectures on
''THE CHRISTIAN MARTYRs.n
The services were opened ana closed In the usual
form. and the preacher was attired in neat suit
She selected as the Scripture lesson to be read por
tons OF the sixth aud seventh chapters OF the Acts
O. the Apostles. The audience then san ng the hymn,
commencing with the lines
His only righteousness show,
His saving truth proclaim;
'Tis all my business here below
To cry "Bchold the Lamb"
In opening her discourse she said she felt little
surprised at the slender attendance as the subject
was one OF such special interest, put that she was
nevertheless pleased to meet those who were here.
After all it was more OF congregation than Jesus
had by
sAMARIAS WELL
or or that earnest night with Nicodemus, and 1T
was consong TO know that much real good might
result even IRON so small an auditory. She then
announced that her remarks would embrace the
subject or the death or the first Christian martyr,
the seventh chapter of the Acts OF
the Apostles describing the stoning to death
OF the Apostle stephen. She said that the fact That
| this was an age In which martyrdom could not be
| appreciated would, doubtless, In manner account
for the TACT that there were so few present TO hear
I deaths. Martyrdom and suffering we're Christ's
badges OF disciplcship; but
i CHRISTIANS OF THE PRESENT DAY
| were too 10th to take up the cross" They were
not earliest In their work as 10 provoke or neces
state persecution. The fact was that the real