Synapses have a mind of their own, and a perverse one at that.
The author went on about the great pleasure that can be derived from secretly doing good for others. In any case, the notion apparently was printed on flypaper. Surfacing from some subconscious deep, it came to visit half a century later as I was Lenten reading Matthew 6. Jesus admonishes his disciples about a higher righteousness that includes, among other things, prescriptions about revenge, anger, lust, divorce, forgiveness and praying for enemies. He then proceeds to meddle further with our comfortable piety by denying us the pleasure we get when we parade our generosity.