This story seems to speak to the eight most common virtues that researchers in California recently found in people they studied in search of happiness. The researchers found that those who share these eight virtues have been found to be those who tend to live the longest, report best health in their age and income groups. These life winners report a more complete sense of a life well lived and that their good life assures them a good death and afterlife.

These eight virtues are usually shared by people who are also active in their community, report a belief in a faith, and believe their good deeds and lives will have them welcomed into Heaven or Nirvana or a Happy Hunting Ground.

These virtues are to count your blessings, do acts of kindness, savor the joys of life, thank a mentor, learn to forgive, stay close to family and friends, take care of your body, and develop strategies to cope with stress and hardship. You can almost count them off in this story.

In this case the name of the good man was a poor Scottish farmer name Fleming. One day while working in his field, he heard a scream for help coming from the bog next to his farm. Fleming dropped his tools and ran to the bog. Here he saw a frightened boy, already sunk to his waist in the swampy black bog. Fleming waded in and grabbed the lad and dragged him to the firm ground, helped him to clean off, and saw him on his way as his family was visiting nearby.

The very next day a grand carriage pulled up to the Scotsman's small hut. An expensively dressed gentleman stepped out. He shook hands and said he was the father of the lad that the farmer saved. He wanted to pay Fleming, who thanked him but refused. The reward was all in the good deed. And although their life was simple, it was good. At that moment the son of the farmer, about the same age as the young rich lad, appeared at the door.

The gentleman asked if that was the son of the farmer, who proudly confirmed that it was. And the gentleman proposed a deal that the farmer did agree to. And that was to take the lad and pay for the finest education that his own son would enjoy. The farmer agreed and young Fleming did become a famed physician.

Fleming later moved to Canada, and there with the help of others discovered Penicillin, which has been a boon to humanity in curing diseases. Previously incurable diseases were now being cured thanks to Penicillin.


The name of the nobleman was Lord Randolph Churchill. His son's name became Sir Winston Churchill, who became seriously ill with pneumonia later in life, and again a Fleming saved his life, this time by Penicillin. Two great families, two small and great deeds that display how a wave effect of good or ill can create other waves later elsewhere. And we applaud these fine examples of humanity at it's best here.