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 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 left
stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strong also.
Years later that young woman became critically ill. The local
doctors were baffled. The finally sent her to the big city, where they called
in specialist to study her rare disease. dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the
consultation. When he heard the name from 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 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 he wrote something on the edge and the bill was sent to woman’s
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 began
to read the following words:
“Paid in full with one glass of milk”
Signed, dr. Howard Kelly.