The price of kindness.

Taken from The Sunday Star, 27th June 2004.



One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry. He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely woman opened the door. Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water.

The woman thought he looked hungry and so she brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, "How much do I owe you?"

"You don't owe me anything," she replied. "Mother has taught us never to accept pay for kindness."

The boy said, "In that case, I thank you from my heart."

years later that young woman became critically ill. the local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease. Dr Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to her room. Dressed in his doctor's gown he went to see her. he recognised her at once. He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life.

From that day he gave special attention to the case. After a long struggle, the battle was won. Dr Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. he looked at it, then wrote something on the edge and the bill was sent to her room.

The woman feared opening it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She read these words ... "Paid in full with one glass of milk," signed, Dr Howard Kelly.

Tears of joy flooded her eyes as her happy heart prayed: "Thanks You, God, that your love has spread abroad through human hearts and hands."