Chicken Soup for the Soul: Home Delivery
Charles W. Pourciau (pourciau@EARTHLINK.NET)
Wed, 29 Apr 1998 13:45:31 -0500
Hi yall,
May we always have the time... Take care friends.
YiS,
Lydia Pourciau, THE Free Agent, from the "Bayou State" (Baton Rouge, LA USA)
P27s Den Leader Coach in Tunica District in the Istrouma Area Council
SC-CS-13 (a crazy FOX in 1988)
mailto:pourciau@earthlink.net
http:home.earthlink.net/~pourciau
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Compassion Is in the Eyes
It was a bitter, cold evening in northern Virginia many
years ago. The old man's beard was glazed by winter's frost while
he waited for a ride across the river. The wait seemed endless.
His body became numb and stiff from the frigid north wind.
He heard the faint, steady rhythm of approaching hooves
galloping along the frozen path. Anxiously, he watched as several
horsemen rounded the bend. He let the first one pass by without
an effort to get his attention. Then another passed by , and
another. Finally, the last rider neared the spot where the old
man sat like a snow statue. As this one drew near, the old man
caught the rider's eye and said, "Sir, would you mind giving an
old man a ride to the other side? There doesn't appear to be a
passageway by foot."
Reining his horse, the rider replied, "Sure thing. Hop
aboard." Seeing the old man was unable to lift his half-frozen
body from the ground, the horseman dismounted and helped the old
man onto the horse. The horseman took the old man not just across
the river, but to his destination, which was just a few miles
away.
As they neared the tiny but cozy cottage, the horseman's
curiosity caused him to inquire, "Sir, I notice that you let
several other riders pass by without making an effort to secure a
ride. Then I came up and you immediately asked me for a ride. I'm
curious why, on such a bitter winter night, you would wait and
ask the last rider. What if I had refused and left you there?"
The old man lowered himself slowly down from the horse,
looked the rider straight in the eyes, and replied, "I've been
around these here parts for some time. I reckon I know people
pretty good." The old-timer continued, "I looked into the eyes of
the other riders and immediately saw there was no concern for my
situation. It would have been useless even to ask them for a
ride. But when I looked into your eyes, kindness and compassion
were evident. I knew, then and there, that your gentle spirit
would welcome the opportunity to give me assistance in my time of
need."
Those heartwarming comments touched the horseman deeply.
"I'm most grateful for what you have said," he told the old man.
"May I never get too busy in my own affairs that I fail to
respond to the needs of others with kindness and compassion."
With that, Thomas Jefferson turned his horse around and made
his way back to the White House.
By Anonymous
Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City |
