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Show 4- Fair as the moon by niffht. 4- And brighter than the noonday sun, Sweet Mary stands alone f In a flood of light. -f From hir creation: - From life's first, earliest vibration; From that first feeble palpitation 4- Of a new life unseen, unknown, Except by God alone, f She bore no mark oi the primal curse, 4- No taint from any source. No stain of sin - Wrought by herself, or inbred and 4- original, 4- Marred that sweet body, fair and virginal, 4- Or the pure soul within. 4- In this beauty of her state 4 She stands, the glory of her race, ' 4 Pure, holy, innocent, immaculate, 4 And full of grace. 4- In every quality of soul 4 A matchless, rorfect whole; 4 In every line ind feature 4 A faultless, thiugh a finite, creature. 4 In truth, 'tis 41S t0 believe 4 In this exemption of Christ's holy 4 Mother , , . 4- From the birth-sin- engendered by the 4- other, 4 The first and:guilty Eve. 4 It was a gift t'int could be given I. 4 As readily as when, at the font. 4 The water falls on the infant's front, 4 And the pardon falls from Heaven. 4 It was a simple, unconditional fact, 4 With only one party to the act. 4 All-powerful w.as God to render; 4 Helpless sweet Mary's- soul to hinder. 4- Hail Mary!- -From -thy orient 4 As spotless as the snow! '; 4 And hail the grace which did pfevent, 4- And made thee so! 4- 4- - H. 4 There is according to my thought. ' 4- A harder problem here, which brings -T-444-4444 444-44 4 4 4" 4 4" My uttermost imaginings . 4- To naught. 4 When T, recall that saintly life 4 Of Mary, mother, daughter, wife. 4. And when I try to trace 4 Its golden thread, 4- As if the perfect web be spread 4 Before my face; ' 4 When, above all. 4 j I set me to recall .4 I Her life-long perseverance 4 i In spotless innocence and moral beauty, 4 By the working of her own sweet 4 will; 4 Her close adherence 4 To God's dear love, and prayer, and 4 daily duty; 4 Through doubt and sorrow faithful 4 still; " 4 Perfect in all; 4 When I recall 4 The matchless merit 4 Of that sweet spirit, 4 Aided indeed by grace, but always 4 free 4 0 then 'tis hard for me, 4-All 4-All sick with error, 4- . To master my surprise; .4' To lift my eyes ' r ' " 4 From' the dark mirror 4 j Where my own life reflected lies 4 i Up to that radiant zodiac 4 Where, like the moon in silver light -- Around the darkened globe, ' 4 She moved through life in her own 4 sweet track, 4- 'In her white robe, 4 Queen of the night. 4 4- Oh! Mary, full of grace, 4 Help me (for I 'am weak) 4 To follow in thy trace. 4 The prayers, dear Mother, I bespeak. 4 If thou will plead for this, 4 1 cannot miss 4 i To find, some day, the home I seek. 4 JOHN BIRD. 4 4 4-4-4-4 4-4-4-4 4-4-4-4 4 4 4 4 4- |