One day a woman was
walking down the
street when she
spied a beggar
sitting on the
corner. The man was
elderly, unshaven,
and ragged. As he
sat there,
pedestrians walked
by him giving him
dirty looks They
clearly wanted
nothing to do with
him because of who
he was -- a dirty,
homeless man. But
when she saw him,
the woman was moved
to compassion.
It was very cold
that day and the man
had his tattered
coat -- more like an
old suit coat rather
than a warm coat --
wrapped around him.
She stopped and
looked down. "Sir?"
she asked. "Are you
all right?"
The man slowly
looked up. This was
a woman clearly
accustomed to the
finer things of
life. Her coat was
new. She looked like
that she had never
missed a meal in her
life. His first
thought was that she
wanted to make fun
of him, like so many
others had done
before. "Leave me
alone," he growled.
To his amazement,
the woman continued
standing. She was
smiling -- her even
white teeth
displayed in
dazzling rows. "Are
you hungry?" she
asked.
"No," he answered
sarcastically. "I've
just come from
dining with the
president. Now go
away."
The woman's smile
became even broader.
Suddenly the man
felt a gentle hand
under his arm. "What
are you doing,
lady?" the man asked
angrily. "I said to
leave me alone."
Just then a
policeman came up.
"Is there any
problem, ma'am?" he
asked.
"No problem here,
officer," the woman
answered. "I'm just
trying to get this
man to his feet.
Will you help me?"
The officer
scratched his head.
"That's old Jack.
He's been a fixture
around here for a
couple of years.
What do you want
with him?"
"See that cafeteria
over there?" she
asked. "I'm going to
get him something to
eat and get him out
of the cold for
awhile."
"Are you crazy,
lady?" the homeless
man resisted. "I
don't want to go in
there!" Then he felt
strong hands grab
his other arm and
lift him up. "Let
me go, officer. I
didn't do anything."
"This is a good deal
for you, Jack," the
officer answered.
"Don't blow it."
Finally, and with
some difficulty, the
woman and the police
officer got Jack
into the cafeteria
and sat him at a
table in a remote
corner. It was the
middle of the
morning, so most of
the breakfast crowd
had already left and
the lunch bunch had
not yet arrived. The
manager strode
across the cafeteria
and stood by the
table. "What's going
on here, officer?"
he asked. "What is
all this. Is this
man in trouble?"
"This lady brought
this man in here to
be fed," the
policeman answered.
"Not in here!" the
manager replied
angrily. "Having a
person like that
here is bad for
business."
Old Jack smiled a
toothless grin.
"See, lady. I told
you so. Now if
you'll let me go. I
didn't want to come
here in the first
place."
The woman turned to
the cafeteria
manager and smiled.
"Sir, are you
familiar with Eddy
and Associates, the
banking firm down
the street?"
"Of course I am,"
the manager answered
impatiently. "They
hold their weekly
meetings in one of
my banquet rooms."
"And do you make a
goodly amount of
money providing food
at these weekly
meetings?"
"What business is
that of yours?"
"I, sir, am Penelope
Eddy, president and
CEO of the company."
"Oh."
The woman smiled
again. "I thought
that might make a
difference." She
glanced at the cop
who was busy
stifling a giggle.
"Would you like to
join
us in a cup of
coffee and a meal,
officer?"
"No thanks, ma'am,"
the officer replied.
"I'm on duty."
"Then, perhaps, a
cup of coffee to
go?"
"Yes, ma'am. That
would be very nice."
The cafeteria
manager turned on
his heel. "I'll get
your coffee for you
right away,
officer."
The officer watched
him walk away. "You
certainly put him in
his place," he said.
"That was not my
intent. Believe it
or not, I have a
reason for all
this." She sat down
at the table across
from her amazed
dinner guest. She
stared at him
intently. "Jack, do
you remember me?"
Old Jack searched
her face with his
old, rheumy eyes "I
think so -- I mean
you do look
familiar."
"I'm a little older
perhaps," she said.
"Maybe I've even
filled out more than
in my younger days
when you worked
here, and I came
through that very
door, cold and
hungry."
"Ma'am?" the officer
said questioningly.
He couldn't believe
that such a
magnificently turned
out woman could ever
have been hungry.
"I was just out of
college," the woman
began. "I had come
to the city looking
for a job, but I
couldn't find
anything. Finally I
was down to my
last few cents and
had been kicked out
of my apartment. I
walked the streets
for days. It was
February and I was
cold and nearly
starving. I saw this
place and walked in
on the off chance
that I could get
something to eat."
Jack lit up with a
smile. "Now I
remember," he said.
"I was behind the
serving counter. You
came up and asked me
if you could work
for something to
eat. I said that it
was against company
policy."
"I know," the woman
continued. "Then you
made me the biggest
roast beef sandwich
that I had ever
seen, gave me a cup
of coffee, and told
me to go over to a
corner table and
enjoy it. I was
afraid that you
would get into
trouble. Then, when
I looked over, I saw
you put the price of
my food in the cash
register. I knew
then that everything
would be all right."
"So you started your
own business?" Old
Jack said.
"I got a job that
very afternoon. I
worked my way up.
Eventually I started
my own business
that, with the help
of God, prospered."
She opened her purse
and pulled out a
business card. "When
you are finished her
e, I want you to pay
a visit to a Mr.
Lyons. He's the
personnel director
of my company. I'll
go talk to him now
and I'm certain
he'll find something
for you to do around
the office." She
smiled. "I think he
might even find the
funds to give you a
little advance so
that you can buy
some clothes and get
a place to live
until you get on
your feet And if you
ever need anything,
my door is always
opened to you."
There were tears in
the old man's eyes.
"How can I ever
thank you," he said.
"Don't thank me,"
the woman answered.
"To God goes the
glory. Thank Jesus.
He led me to you."
Outside the
cafeteria, the
officer and the
woman paused at the
entrance before
going their separate
ways. "Thank you for
all your help,
officer," she said.
"On the contrary,
Ms. Eddy," he
answered. "Thank
you. I saw a miracle
today, something
that I will never
forget. And... And
thank you for the
coffee."
She frowned. "I
forgot to ask you
whether you used
cream or sugar.
That's black."
The officer looked
at the steaming cup
of coffee in his
hand. "Yes, I do
take cream and sugar
-- perhaps more
sugar than is good
for me." He patted
his ample stomach.
"I'm sorry," she
said.
"I don't need it
now," he replied
smiling. "I've got
the feeling that
this coffee you
bought me is going
to taste as sweet as
sugar."