On a cold
winter morning, a poor boy called Howard Kelly was on his way to school. He was
so hungry that he decided to beg(乞讨）for a meal at the next
house.
A lovely young lady opened the door
and she brought him a large glass of milk. He had it slowly, and then asked, "How
much do I owe(欠）you?"
You
owe me nothing," she replied. "Mother has taught me never to accept
pay for a kindness." He said, "Then I thank you from the bottom of my
heart."
Years later the woman became
seriously ill. The local doctors sent her to the big city, where specialists(专家）can study her illness. Dr. Howard Kelly, now famous, was called in
for the consultation (会诊). When he heard the name of
the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Immediately, he rose
and went to her room. He recognized her at once and decided to do his best to
save her life. From that day on, he gave special attention to her and her
illness.
After a long time, the lady was well
again at last. Dr. Kelly asked the hospital office to pass the final bill to
him. He looked at it and then wrote something on the side. The bill was sent to
her room. She was afraid to open it because she had thought that it would take
the rest of her life to pay it off. Finally she looked, and the note on the
side caught her attention. "Paid in full with a glass of milk."
