The sun., 1905-01-31
WOMAN NEXHOR COMES HERE
THE "LITTLE DE4CONESS' FRESH
FROM SCHENECTADY TRIt NPHS.
Miss sanford Helping Out nj Brooklyn
Revival and Then Goes 10 Newark
SHE Is JncOmnonly Pretty. but Her
Convincing ERrnestncss Draws Nightly

Miss Bertha Sanford. better known OF
late "a the Little Deaconness, about
whose exceedingly attractive personality
that veritahle storm Of religious fervor has
been swirling up in Schenectady for the
past few weeks. made her first appeal last
evening from a pulpit in Greater New
York.
II was at a meeting in the old Warren
Street Methodist Episcopal Church of Brook
lyn that Miss Sanford spoke. 4 series OF
special meetings, something IN the order of
revival meetings has been in progress
there for several days and Miss Sanford had
promised TO take part.
The Schenectady -awakening' took on
such astonishing dimensions and had such
remarkable results in the way Of converts
that -The Little Deaconess' was detained
there and her work IN the Warren street
church was cut down to two meeting5-that
of last evening and still another this even
ing. Then she goes 10 New York, for her
success in Schenectady, has been so astound-
ing that there are those who have con-
ceived the brilliantly daring idea that
with such an eXhorter something religious
may be done even with Jerseymen SO
a revival campaign in Jersey has been
planned.
1nose who saw and heard The Little
Deaconess in the Warren Street Church
last evening were not at Il loss 10 under
stand the remarkable Influence she has
had over her audiences. Her appearance
alone IL All argument OF overwhelming
force, particularly among the young men.
Speaking IN worldly way. she Is an un-
commonly pretty young woman, with the
added. and not altogether commonplace
charm under such circumstances Of being
apparently quite unconscious II the fact.
That her very pleasing face and graceful
carriage have had me. r evHng7lizing effect in
her task no ono who aee- her doubts, yet
those who We're in tn, Warren street church
last evening discovered that the real secret
of hcr persuasive powers lay III the dhsO-
lut-ly convincing earn stuess which - IN
every tone Of her voice ana In every line OF
her features as she pleads her cause with
her hearers.
There is not even a note Of dramatic
afieCtation in her manner. She took her
text and began her sermon in n plain
straightforward way which she kept u 10
10 the end In her moments Of deepest
earnestneSs her voice never rises, but seems
on the other hand 70 sink in ita tone, and
though lower 10 be OF fuller volume. Her
gestures have feminine restraint and
quietude which are quite in harmony with
the subdued gentleness Of her voice.
II was no. very largo congregation that
greeted Miss Sanford aAt evening and many
who were there evidently went from Gu
riosity, but that she made u deep impression
on the emotiouallv inclined was easy [ tJ see.
Many women We're in tears before she was
through and when at the c,o-e Of her sermon
she urged all who wished TO come forward.
10 the altar rail and confess their faith in
Him whose cause she had so fceiingy
pleaded, fully 100 persons men and women.
both young and old. left their seats as
though drawn towards her by a curious
sort OF magnetism.
The either was a feature she introduced
into the Schenectady revivals, and she
had il with her when she went To the plat
form last evening. She played on it an
accompaniment to one hymn, which she
sang in very pretty voice and with that
same earnest simplicity of tone and man
ner which IL probably at the root Of her
undoubted power as rcyival-t eNhorter.
Miss Sanford WIS educated at Smith
College, and she studied law and was ad-
mitted TO the bar But her heart was in
religious work and Sne was % devout he
lever IN the eyangeAlinE mission of Meth
odi-m. So she left the world behind
entered the Lucy W. hh Hayes Deacones -es'
Training School in Washington. and while
there she studied in thr Slbey Hospital
and rec lived the degree Of graduate
nurse. Thus equipped she started out on
her evangelical career and just now Is
perhaps in the lead OF all lahorers Of the
Methodist Church in that field