The Horse Rider
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
here 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.
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