It was a bitter cold evening in northern Virginia many years ago. An old man’s beard was covered with winter’s frost while he waited for a ride across the river. The wait seemed endless. Then he heard the sound of hooves(蹄) advancing along the frozen path. Anxiously, he watched as several horseman rounded the bend. He let the first one pass by, then another passed by...and another. Finally, the last neared the place. As this one drew near, the old can caught the rider’s eyes and said, “Sir, Would you mind giving an old man a ride to the other side? There doesn’t appear to be a passageway on foot.”
The rider stopped. The old man was unable to lift his half-frozen body from the ground, so the horseman helped him onto the horse and took him not just across the river, but to the destination.
“Sir, I noticed that you let several other riders pass by. Why ask me for a ride? I am curious why, on such a bitter winter night, you would wait and ask the last rider.”
The old man lowered himself slowly down from the horse, looking the rider straight in the eyes. “I know people pretty well. I looked into their eyes and immediately saw there was no concern for my situation. But when I looked into yours, I knew that your gentle spirit would give assistance in my time of need.”
These heart-warming comments touched the horseman deeply. “I am grateful for what you said,” he told the old man. “May I never get so busy in my own affairs that I fail to respond to needs of others.”