Life’s Mirror
There are loyal hearts, there are spirits brave,
There are souls that are pure and true;
Then give to the world the best you have,
And the best will come back to you.
Give love, and love to your life will flow,
A strength in your utmost need;
Have faith, and a score of hearts will show
Their faith in your work and deed.
Give truth, and your gift will be paid in kind,
And honor will honor meet;
And the smile which is sweet will surely find
A smile that is just as sweet.
Give sorrow and pity to those who mourn;
You will gather in flowers again
The scattered seeds from your thought outborne
Though the sowing seemed but vain.
For life is the mirror of king and slave,
’Tis just what we are and do;
Then give to the world the best you have
And the best will come back to you.
By Madeline S. Bridges
The above poem is sometimes summarized and paraphrased as:
“Give the world the best you have and the best will come back to you.” -Madeline Bridges (1844 - 1920)
Madeline S. Bridges is a pseudonym of Mary Ainge De Vere, who was born in 1844 in Brooklyn, New York, United States of America. She was the daughter of Thomas Ainge and Margaret (McIntyre) De Vyr, both of whom were natives of Donegal, Ireland before immigrating to America. Her father was a newspaper owner and editor in New York. She had her first poem published in a New York daily newspaper at 14 years of age. Her verses appeared in magazines including “Littell’s Living Age,” “The Century,” “Harper’s,” “Frank Leslie’s,” and “Lippincott’s.” She was a humorist and her squibs, jokes, dialogues, and light verse were published in “Puck,” “Life,” “Judge,” and the humor columns of nearly all American periodicals of the time. Her best-known serious poems include “The Quiet House,” “The Brook,” “Life’s Mirror,” “We Two,” and “Good-bye, Sweetheart.” At about 26 years of age in 1870, she had a collection of poems titled “Love Songs and Other Poems” published, and at about 59 years of age in 1903, she had a collection of poems titled, “The Wind-Swept Wheat” published. Mary Ainge De Vere resided in Brooklyn, New York, United States of America her whole life, and passed on at about 76 years of age on 6 August 1920.
There are loyal hearts, there are spirits brave,
There are souls that are pure and true;
Then give to the world the best you have,
And the best will come back to you.
Give love, and love to your life will flow,
A strength in your utmost need;
Have faith, and a score of hearts will show
Their faith in your work and deed.
Give truth, and your gift will be paid in kind,
And honor will honor meet;
And the smile which is sweet will surely find
A smile that is just as sweet.
Give sorrow and pity to those who mourn;
You will gather in flowers again
The scattered seeds from your thought outborne
Though the sowing seemed but vain.
For life is the mirror of king and slave,
’Tis just what we are and do;
Then give to the world the best you have
And the best will come back to you.
By Madeline S. Bridges
The above poem is sometimes summarized and paraphrased as:
“Give the world the best you have and the best will come back to you.” -Madeline Bridges (1844 - 1920)
Madeline S. Bridges is a pseudonym of Mary Ainge De Vere, who was born in 1844 in Brooklyn, New York, United States of America. She was the daughter of Thomas Ainge and Margaret (McIntyre) De Vyr, both of whom were natives of Donegal, Ireland before immigrating to America. Her father was a newspaper owner and editor in New York. She had her first poem published in a New York daily newspaper at 14 years of age. Her verses appeared in magazines including “Littell’s Living Age,” “The Century,” “Harper’s,” “Frank Leslie’s,” and “Lippincott’s.” She was a humorist and her squibs, jokes, dialogues, and light verse were published in “Puck,” “Life,” “Judge,” and the humor columns of nearly all American periodicals of the time. Her best-known serious poems include “The Quiet House,” “The Brook,” “Life’s Mirror,” “We Two,” and “Good-bye, Sweetheart.” At about 26 years of age in 1870, she had a collection of poems titled “Love Songs and Other Poems” published, and at about 59 years of age in 1903, she had a collection of poems titled, “The Wind-Swept Wheat” published. Mary Ainge De Vere resided in Brooklyn, New York, United States of America her whole life, and passed on at about 76 years of age on 6 August 1920.
