Joseph was the wealthiest man in the town of Cheyenne, and he was a loner. He had no family, he had no friends. Though he lived in the biggest house, and his fortune was well known, whenever anyone asked him to support a local cause or to give to charity, he always said no.
He was known as the miserable miser.
When Joseph passed away, there was no one who mourned him and no one willing to help with his burial. He was laid to rest by the cemetery workers, without a prayer, without a tear shed.
Weeks later, the mayor noticed something unusual in her town. The food pantry was empty, and people were queuing up at the social service agency, requesting benefits to help them meet their basic needs.
Mayor Smith began asking around. She asked the grocer, the butcher, and the milkman about the situation. They all told her the same thing. For many years, there was an anonymous donor who would send payment towards credit for customers who could not afford to pay their bills.
The checks stopped.
The auto mechanic, the furniture dealer, and the hardware store owner all had the same story. The businesses in town were subsidized to help the low-income townspeople.
All anonymously.
It added up to one conclusion, Joseph was the modest benefactor no one knew.
“What to do?” thought Mayor Smith. Should she tell the citizens of Cheyenne what this angel of generosity had done for them? Or, should she not share the story of his generosity as was his way and his wishes when he was alive?
What would you do?
By Susan Diamond
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