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A glass of Milk, paid in Full

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 felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strong also. He had been ready to give up and quit.

Year’s 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 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 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 began to read the following words:

“Paid in full with one glass of milk.

Signed, Dr. Howard Kelly.”

Author Unknown

{ 329 comments… add one }
  • Ali August 3, 2011, 1:45 pm

    so nice

  • Yeng July 30, 2011, 11:26 am

    Very nice story….. it really touched my heart!!!

  • Mai July 26, 2011, 12:56 am

    Two thumbs up for Dr. Howard Kelly.,, you showed us that you deserved all the kindness you have received,.. God is good..

  • Gaurav July 25, 2011, 10:45 am

    For me, it is a wonderful story…. thx.

  • Rose July 23, 2011, 11:31 pm

    Very beautifuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuul story

  • Mitali Jain July 23, 2011, 6:52 am

    Wonderful story with wonderful lesson. It was awsome. Thanks.

  • Claire July 15, 2011, 9:33 am

    Nice story. “Paid in full with one glass of milk”

  • Girygirl July 11, 2011, 11:49 am

    So others said that “If we all practice this the world would be a better place” that is right…. so people try to practice it.

  • Lila July 6, 2011, 1:53 am

    A very beautiful story. We used it for our class assembly, it turned out great. It had a wonderful impact on all and we had a great time acting it out.

  • Cay July 4, 2011, 8:04 am

    Great teaching. If we all practise this the world would be a better place!

  • Venugopal July 4, 2011, 1:10 am

    I feel The Young lady’s help is greatest in this context because she helped the boy in the most miserable condition of hunger without expecting any return from him. But what Dr Kelly has done is he just repaid for what she has done for him.

  • JJ June 30, 2011, 6:08 am

    Dear Dr. Howard Kelly – If you help People who have helped you – that is Only Gratitude and there is nothing great in the act. Jesus has Teached us to Help People from whom you can expect back no help – ie called Greatness. Dude – Accept this and Change your Attitude.

  • Courtney June 28, 2011, 10:35 pm

    Now that was great! I learned that we can come from nothing to being something as long as we do not forget who help us to get there. It it also shows that we only need to pay that respect in how we earn it; money is not everything.

  • Baxw6 June 28, 2011, 9:58 am

    This story tells us that: if you help people, you help yourself.

  • Bhuvan Shree Rathour June 28, 2011, 5:17 am

    A good act of kindness. These acts make us more human. I love it.

  • Sohail Bin Sayeed June 26, 2011, 2:59 pm

    I liked it so much that I appriciate the writer that he has presented it in a good maneer that it shows that every good action is rewarded one or the other day, just the right time should come. I Salute the writer and say that the story was fabulous… amazing, unbelievable.

  • Aroonkumar June 24, 2011, 1:21 pm

    Superb story!! Super like this story!!

  • varunn June 24, 2011, 1:41 am

    A great story

  • sharoon June 13, 2011, 1:23 am

    Great one. It’s all about our deeds. So friends, do your best and never expect anything.

  • Leni May 25, 2011, 12:43 am

    I really love the story…!

  • P.laskar May 14, 2011, 7:10 am

    A really awesome story for all ages. I personally feel this a true example to teach and learn what is called humanity and mankind.

  • Faizan Zubair May 8, 2011, 2:49 am

    love it

  • Roshni April 28, 2011, 8:11 am

    Excellent story………..It made my heart warm………Thank you to whom who posted this fantastic story!!!…..!

  • Saumitra Pandey April 25, 2011, 4:49 pm

    Amazing story, very touchy and moral is be kind to others.

  • Penelope April 20, 2011, 7:30 am

    I am only eight but I got a lot of meaning out of this story. Even though, I must admit I am emotional, this story would make the toughest person on earth’s heart melt. I am grateful to whoever posted this story, my summary on it got me a good grade in my English advanced creative writing course!!

  • shubham April 5, 2011, 7:29 am

    awesome story it”s really just fabulous>>>>>><<<<<<<<<

  • sandy April 1, 2011, 3:19 pm

    It’s an excellent story…So never send back from ur home if anybody came to you in a need…Do atleast little than nothing…God doesn’t leave ur help,,, He helps u through some one when you are in need ..

  • samina March 30, 2011, 9:57 am

    Wow! I cried reading this. We are thankful to God for giving us people like the women, Dr. Kelly and the mechanic boy from Dr. Arora’s incident. They inspire us to be like them. I was reminded and felt greateful to all the people who helped me and I am most grateful to the Lord, almighty for everything.

  • Mohammed March 10, 2011, 6:08 am

    A really good story which every one has to read and understand to help the needy

  • maha March 4, 2011, 11:41 pm

    really touching…
    thank God..

  • Kirti February 21, 2011, 12:20 am

    grt kindness

  • lewis February 20, 2011, 11:48 pm

    i have been reading this wonderful and beautiful small story since my first year of my Bachelor course and still i am reading. whenever i read the tears drop from my eyes automatically i don’t know…this small story always teach me how should i be grateful for even the least thing that people do to me…Thank God that i read this story…

  • Canada Marvin February 2, 2011, 9:53 pm

    Nice story.

  • Nihal mahanto January 15, 2011, 4:00 am

    Yes, as the above readers told about this is really a good story …and I learnt that if you give the best the best will come back to u and the incident happened with Dr. Pramod arora is also inspirational plez read that…thank u all.

  • Tevero January 9, 2011, 6:12 am

    I love these kind of stories…it is very uplifting.
    Praise God

  • Anant December 23, 2010, 1:08 am

    It’s very nice.

  • Alaa November 26, 2010, 3:37 pm

    I love it so much and it will be the main topic in my presentataion in the university.

  • Biju November 24, 2010, 8:14 pm

    Yeah, a really touching story filled with lot of kindness.

  • cmmudkavi November 10, 2010, 6:11 am

    A beautiful, touching story. It has lot of kindness filled in it.

  • Zarnain November 1, 2010, 6:29 am

    Very kind of you to send such a nice story.

  • Prarthana October 26, 2010, 10:01 am

    It is a fabulous one. I never heard it before. I think that the doctor remembered the kindness of lady.

  • Abdullah October 21, 2010, 5:33 am

    Great! Made me cry!!!

  • Priyanshu October 14, 2010, 12:11 am

    A good story which teaches us to be kind.

  • Abe Ibrahim September 17, 2010, 11:06 am

    Thank you for sharing – It is hard to stay composed when one reads the scripted note… I pray to do the same!

  • Zac September 12, 2010, 8:30 pm

    God is great.

  • Dr Pramod Arora September 1, 2010, 6:28 am

    A wonderful and touching story. It compels me to share with all, a similar experience,a decade back.

    It was a cold wintry mid night in Delhi. At a desolate spot, my two wheeler developed a snag. I could not fix it and was stranded.The roads were deserted. looking around for help, i spotted some people huddled around a bonfire, some 100 meters away. I dragged my scooter there and asked for a mechanic, if any, in the vicinity. An elderly looking gentleman from the group, sent a boy for a mechanic. The boy returned soon, only to tell the mechanic has gone somewhere and will come soon. Middle of the night, amongst strangers i had my own doubts and apprehensions, about the mechanic. What if he refuses to work so late at night. As for exhorbitant charges, I was willing to pay happily. It was not long before a thin built young boy came and asked the problem. He was the mechanic. He took over and spent app one hour to fix the problem. I profusely thanked him, and asked how much I owed him for the job. To my utter surprise, he refused any money. When I persisted, this apparently semiliterate MAN said politely: Earn I whole day. I need not work for money at this hour of the night. I came for the sake of humanity and I cannot charge for that.

    I was dumbfounded but he did not, even, wait for my Thanks. I always keep him in my prayers. I pray may his tribe increase many fold and I be one of them.

  • Lala August 7, 2010, 12:51 am

    Wow…it’s amazing story…

  • Hari August 5, 2010, 5:51 am

    It’s really touching the hearts.

  • Shashank lal August 4, 2010, 7:41 am

    God is Great! Thanks to Dr. Kelly he remembered his kind friend and showed kindness in return, a great thing god has and he has gifted us also.

    Thanks for the beautiful story.

  • Feroz Mohiuddin August 3, 2010, 1:38 pm

    It’s true when you help someone God will definetely help you sooner or later.

  • R.Sharif July 29, 2010, 5:20 am

    It is a impressive story and leaves a strong impact upon the listeners.

  • Sundari July 23, 2010, 3:31 am

    Truly excellence.

  • Jesu July 15, 2010, 10:25 am

    It helped me, thank you so much!

  • Kiran July 10, 2010, 2:11 am

    It’s a real moral tale that every one needs to learn….. From simple morals like these only we can enjoy the seet fruits of life. My thanks for author.

  • Ashri July 5, 2010, 5:54 am

    I’ve learned from the story that never forget them who quenched your hunger.

  • Sonam July 4, 2010, 5:49 am

    It is a lovely and fantastic story. If we help someone then later when we are in trouble they will help us like this story…

  • Jeny April 14, 2010, 10:59 am

    This story tells us clearly that “Service to Man is Service to God”. We must first think that how we’re getting help in our tough times. That’s , We are not getting help from Man We are getting help from God through Man’s kind heart.If you see clearly We’re not getting help from everyone we expect to help us at times. But if you really believe in God and ask him for help then surely you’ll get it from somebody whom you may not known even before. That’s the simple logic which we can’t analyse and understand but can feel and realise………

  • Vinay Natekar March 26, 2010, 2:51 am

    Fantastic motivational story. What goes around comes around.

  • Chidambaram March 12, 2010, 7:58 pm

    Hey. It is fantastic. I used the story for the yoga classes I used to attend every month which we used to discuss about some moral stories.

  • Josh March 5, 2010, 11:48 am

    I love it….

  • Jess January 1, 2010, 7:23 pm

    @Anna, in the beginning of the storie a little boy was given a glass of milk by a stranger. The woman would not take payment from the boy. This boy grew up, finished school, and became a doctor.

    Now the woman who gave him a glass of milk became sick. The doctor that took her case just so happened to be that very same little boy that she gave the milk to. Remember she would not take payment for her act of kindness? When she got the bill for all of her treatments, she saw that her act of kindness WAS REPAID back to her. The doctor basically was saying in that phrase “You helped me when I needed help, Now I am returning your kindness. Consider your bill paid in full with that glass of milk you gave to me years ago.”

  • Boniya December 30, 2009, 10:59 pm

    A great life -inspiring story

  • Ramesh December 8, 2009, 6:27 am

    Great story, for one cup of milk he helped lot means how much we should be grateful to all mighty god, who has given a lot to our life.

  • Rem November 28, 2009, 1:15 am

    As always, great story..thanks for sharing it.

  • Anna November 8, 2009, 7:40 pm

    I don’t really get the ending. Could someone explain it to me?

  • Prianna September 28, 2009, 5:07 pm

    Really nice and makes me feel to be more giving to other.

  • Zoya Sajjad September 28, 2009, 6:31 am

    It is a good lesson for kids “what you sow, so shall you reap”.

  • Larrons Matina September 21, 2009, 9:22 am

    Its very nice, I have read this earlier but still reading it again has the same effects of renewal “What u sow, so shall u reap” Good deed never go in vain even today.

  • Laxmi June 22, 2009, 12:07 am

    One little help save her life

  • Lina May 1, 2009, 10:50 am

    Wonderful story.

    Thanx a lot

  • Ndoumah Victor April 2, 2009, 1:29 pm

    One good turn deserves another.

  • Plat March 8, 2009, 3:54 am

    Great thankful lesson.

  • Stephen November 18, 2008, 12:47 pm

    Thanks, Annie!

  • Annie Tumulak Calupitan November 18, 2008, 12:31 pm

    It’s amazing.
    I just posted in a Friendly Website regarding finding the man who sent me this story as it was deleted in my inbox.
    But alas! Not even ten minutes, I found it.
    God is great!

  • Gemma Thorne November 4, 2008, 8:41 am

    Very good

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