'The old man's one kindly act

The old man's one kindly act

A poor boy was dragging home one day, a little wagon filled with pieces of broken boards which he had gathered around some building operation. He was tired, his feet were bare, his clothing was ragged, his face was pinched and pale, telling of poverty and hunger.

The boy had stopped to rest and had gone asleep. His cap had fallen from his head and his face was exposed to the sun.

Then an old man passing along, saw the boy, and a look of pity came into his face. Taking from his pail his own scanty dinner, he laid it down beside the lad and hurried away. Others saw the act.

A man walked down from his house near by and laid a silver dollar beside the workman's dinner. A woman, living across the street, brought a good cap. A child came running with a pair of shoes, and another with a coat.

Other people stopped, whispered, and left money. So, from the old man's one kindly act , there had gone out this wave of influence, leading a score or more of people to do likewise.

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