Paid in full by a glass of milk

A young medical student was selling books to help him pay his fees in medical college. One hot summer day, he stopped at a farmhouse and asked a bright young girl if she cared to buy a book. "No thanks", she replied, "My mother is a widow and we cannot afford to buy books".
Then the student asked for a glass of water. She replied, "We have milk at home. would you care for a glass of milk?" The student thanked her and drank a glass of milk. when he offered to pay for the milk she refused saying, "Mother has taught me to be kind to strangers".
Some years passed by. One day, a women was brought to a hospital. She was too sick to notice anyone. But the chief surgeon saw her and recognised her as the girl who had once given him a glass of milk. She was placed in a private room and had special nurses to wait on her. Weeks passed.
One morning, a nurse said, "You are going home tomorrow!" "Oh" said the woman, "I am so glad. But the hospital bill worried me. It must be very large." The nurse said, "I will bring it to you."
As the woman looked over the bill and saw the large amount of it, she began to weep. Then, she looked further and down at the bottom she read these words: "Paid in full by a glass of milk!" Thus it was that Dr. Howard A. Kelley returned the kindness that a country girl showed to a stranger!
And thus will be our reward if we show love for others.