A GLASS OF MILK

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 young woman

opened the door. Instead of a meal

he asked for a drink of water.

She thought he looked hungry

so brought him a large glass of milk.

He drank it so 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 a kindness."

He said, "Then I thank you from my heart."

As Howard Kelly left that house,

he not only felt stronger physically,

but his faith in God and man was strong also.

He had been ready to give up and quit.

Many year's later that same 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 in to see her.

He recognized 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 her 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.

She feared to open 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:

"Thank You,God, that Your love

has spread broad through

human hearts and hands.

There's a saying which goes

something like this:

Bread cast on the waters comes back to you.

The good deed you do today

may benefit you or someone you love

at the least expected time.

If you never see the deed again

at least you will have made

the world a better place -

And, after all, isn't that what

life is all about?

The hardest thing to learn in life

is which bridge to cross and which --

To burn!