Page:Life of Isaiah V Williamson.djvu/99

Rh Helmbold, was that "the needs of the suffering could be better investigated and understood by those having charge of these matters than from his personal efforts."

On the other hand, it is true that in numerous instances he gave secret personal attention to individual cases of need, or did this through his secretary—who was frequently his almoner in charitable deeds never publicly known. It seems to be true, also, that in a quiet way he helped many a feeble church in gifts. This is borne out by an exclamation known to have been made during the last year of his life, when told that two well-dressed ladies, coming in a carriage, had called at his office and asked for a contribution toward an expensive altar rail in a rich church:

"Rich church, eh? Well, I've got no use for rich churches. When I give money, I don't give to rich churches; I give to struggling ones."

In that first period of systematic giving in the '70's he made his gifts chiefly from the income of his investments, and as a rule pledged money only as he had an expected