One day, a poor boy who was trying to pay his way through school by selling goods from door to door found that he had only one dime left. He was hungry so he decided to beg for a meal at the next house.

一天，一个贫穷的小男孩为了攒够学费正挨家挨户地推销商品。他非常饥饿，却发现自己只剩下一角钱。于是他决定向下一户人家讨口饭吃。

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 she brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, "How much do I owe you?"

然而，当一位美丽的年轻女子打开房门的时候，这个小男孩却有点胆怯了。他没有要饭吃，只乞求给他一口水喝。这位女子看到他饥俄的样子，就倒了一大杯牛奶给他。男孩慢慢地喝完牛奶，问道：“我应该付多少钱？”

You don't owe me anything, 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." As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but it also increased his faith in God and the human race. He was about to give up and quit before this point.

她微笑着答道：“一分钱也不用付。”“我妈妈教导我，施以爱心，不图回报。”男孩说：“那么，就请接受我由衷的感谢吧！”霍华德•凯利离开这户人家时，感觉自己浑身是劲儿，而且更加相信上帝和整个人类。而在这之前，他都打算要放弃了。

Years later the young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where specialists can be called in to study her rare disease. Dr. Howard Kelly, now famous 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 through the hospital hall into her room.

数年之后，那位年轻女子得了重病，当地医生对此束手无策。最后，他们把她送到大城市医治，在那里召集专家对她这种罕见的病进行会诊治疗。大名鼎鼎的霍华德•凯利医生也被召集参加了这次会诊。当他听到病人来自的那个城镇的名字时，他的眼神变得非常奇怪。他马上起身穿过医院走廊直奔她的病房。

Dressed in his doctor's gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once. He went back to the consultation room and determined to do his best to save her life. From that day on, he gave special attention to her case.

身穿医袍的凯利进了病房去看她，他一眼就认出了她。回到会诊室后，他下定决心要竭尽所能来挽救她的生命。从那天起，他就特别关照她的病情。

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 and then wrote something on the side. The bill was sent to her room. She was afraid to open it because she was positive that it would take the rest of her life to pay it off. Finally she looked, and the note on the side of the bill caught her attention. She read these words...

经过艰苦的努力，手术成功了。凯利医生要求财务室把最终的费用通知单送到他那里审批，他看了一下，便在通知单的旁边写了一些字。当费用通知单送到她的病房时，她不敢打开看。因为她确信，治病的费用将会费尽她的余生来偿还。最后，她还是看了医药费通知单，旁边的那行小字引起了她的注意，