LOCAL 
V 
Gifts. 
Colonel A. E. Humphries, reputed to 
be the richest man in Colorado, during 
a recent serious illness, made this 
pledge: “If God will grant me an ex- 
tension of life, I shall give all I have 
and all I shall make in the future to 
the forwarding of His glory through 
helping His children.” 
His life, which was despaired of at 
the time, was spared, and now he has 
commenced the task of fulfilling his 
pledge. While on the sick-bed and 
near the bourne from which no trav- 
eler returns, he realized that life was 
the one thing which could not be pur- 
chased by gold and in the hour of un- 
rest turned to his Creator. Here is a 
truism from his lips that few people 
in this world realize: “Money buys 
little unless the giver goes with the 
gift.” 
There are so many people that give 
with their hands and not with their 
hearts that the gift generally accom- 
plishes but little in helping their fel- 
lowmen. Some donate large sums to 
charitable institutions because they be- 
lieve it is an obligation they owe ; 
others because it brings a certain 
amount of publicity and laudable com- 
ment from which they derive a satis- 
faction and glory they could not ob- 
tain otherwise. They like to be known 
as benefactors or philanthropists. Such 
gifts are gifts made from purely a sel- 
fish motive and are like the house that 
was built upon sand. 
But Colonel Humphries is a man 
who has been upon the threshold of 
the eternal shadows, and his experience 
has mellowed him and given him a 
greater and broader outlook. He real- 
izes what a frail thing life is, and has a 
greater sympathy with his fellowmen. 
When a man has gone through such an 
experience, his gifts must come from 
the heart. — “The Stamford Advocate.” 
Our local daily paper thus effectively 
points out the especial value of gifts 
that come from the heart. Our late be- 
loved friend, Commodore E. C. Bene- 
dict, well-known as one of Greenwich’s 
generous philanthropists, was fond of 
expressing the same idea in his favorite 
quotation from Joaquin Miller’s “Peter 
Cooper :” 
“For all 3’ou can hold in your cold dead hand 
Is what you have given away.” 
It is strange that more people do not 
realize, as this editorial writer says, 
what a frail thing life is. Every issue 
of every paper contains obituary no- 
tices and every issue also contains no- 
tices of the fool things done by human 
beings. Why isn’t the lesson learned 
that life is short, that it should be well 
lived in getting acquainted with this 
beautiful and interesting world and in 
helping our fellow human beings? Love 
is indeed the greatest thing in the 
world and it should radiate to all na- 
ture and all humanity. 
I am with you heart and soul in the 
good work you are doing, and so I 
am renewing my allegiance for another 
year. — W. H. H. Barker, M. D., Har- 
vey, Iowa. 
Dr. Edward F. Bigelow of Sound 
Beach has been elected First Vice- 
President of The New York Flute 
Club, of which George Barrere is 
President. This club includes nearly 
all the flute players of New York City 
and surrounding towns. There are 
several members in Stamford and 
vicinity. 
44 s“ ^ Purchase st 
Conn. j g.. ^ ^ | ■— i^i C* ' Rye, N. Y. 
FL OR/ ST 3 
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