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for this we render Thee our whole-hearted thanks.
This darling comes to us out of Thy mystery—a secret, no doubt open as day-light unto Thee, but wonderful as a marvel unto us—the miracle of maternity. And as the darling comes, Thy providence, Thy anticipative mercy, prompts us to press the darling to our bosoms as Thy gift—a fresh donation of Thy love, anew ministration of Thy grace; and in the advent of this darling we sight Thee, in the caress of this cherub we touch Thee. Its smiles are Thy greetings; its lisps are Thy messages; and we feel blessed in them. As we count each day in the growing life of this sweet one, we feel the call to a new promise and pledge, to a fresh covenant with Thee—the covenant to own Thee and trust Thee as our sole care-taker, our ever-vigilant protector, our ever-faithful friend, our ever-reliable guide in this heavenward pilgrimage. This darling's daily life, so wisely ordered and so mercifully nurtured, reiterates the convic-
