One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay for his hungry stomach, decided he would ask for a meal at the next house.
On the way through school, he found he had only one thin dime left and he was very hungry. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water. The woman thought he looked hungry, 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 accept pay for kindness."
He said, "Then 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 specialist to study her rare disease. Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a stange 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 won. Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it, then wrote some-thing one 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:
"Thank you, God, that your love has spread abroad through human hearts and hand."
"Is the man of the house home?", they asked.
"No", she replied. "He's out."
"Then we cannot come in", they replied.
In the evening when her husband came home, she told him what had happened
"Go tell them I am home and invite them in!"
The woman went out and invited then in.
"we do not go into a house tohether," they replied.
"Why is that?" she asked.
One of the old men explained: "His name is Wealth," he said pointing to one of his friends, and said pointing to another one, "He is Success, and I am Love." Then he added, "Now go in and discuss with your husband which one of us you want in your home."
The woman went in and told her husband what was said. Her husband was overjoyed. "How nice!!", he said. "Since that is the case, let us invite Wealth. Let him come and fill our home with wealth!"
His wife disagreed. "My dear, why don't we invite Success?"
The daughter-in-law was listening from the other corner of the house. She jumped in with her own suggestion: "Would it not be better to invite Love? Our home will then be filled with love!"
"Let us heed our daughter-in-law's advice," said the husband to his wife. "Go out and invite Love."
The woman went out and asked the 3 old men, "Which one of ypu is Love? Please come in and be our guest."
Love got up and started walking toward the house. The other 2 also got up and followed him. Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success: "I only invited Love, why are you coming in?"
The old men replied together: "If you had invited Wealth or Success, the other two of us would"ve stayed out, but since you invited Love, wherever he goes, we go with him. Wherever there is Love, there is also Wealth and Success!"
