Turns of Fortune

It is a short story book. Some ladies connected with a society for clothing the poor, called upon and explained to her their object; she poked five old guineas into the hands of the spokeswoman, but forbade the insertion of her donation in the visitor's book. During the following week she had numerous applications from various charitable bodies, to whom she gave generously, they said, while she reproached herself with narrowness; to all, however, she positively refused to become a yearly subscriber; and when closely urged by the rector to be one of the patrons of his school, she answered, 'Sir, my father received his property suddenly, and I may be as suddenly deprived of it. I will give, but I will not promise'. Her impulse was to give, her habit to withhold.