Great as are the exhibitions of his artistic genius in the paintings he has left us to admire, Thomas Hovenden never made a more wonderful picture in his life. Such a picture of unselfishness, heroism, and Christlike abandon to save a child, is a picture to be admired in heaven—a picture worthy to hang in the palace of God.
11. THE BOY AND THE TRAIN
Kenneth Oliver, a boy of eleven years of age, who lived in Tampico, Ill., returning home from school one afternoon, saw a little girl only seven years old playing on the railroad track. Suddenly he noticed a heavy freight-train coming on, at full speed, drawn by two great engines. The little girl did not see or hear the train, and was playing on, entirely unconscious of her danger. The boy quickly ran to the track, took hold of the child, and dragged her to one side of the rails, but he missed his footing, and the boy and girl rolled down the embankment together just as the train dashed past. It was not an instant too soon, for the edge of the pilot-beam struck the girl, bruising her, and missed killing the boy by an inch. The boy thought nothing of his danger. The tumble down the bank into the ditch seemed like a joke to the two children, although they felt the effects of their somersaults for some time afterward. The little girl’s mother, full of gratitude, told what this boy hero had done; all the country round soon sang his praises; and not long after he received a medal and two thousand dollars from the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission. It had always been his wish to go to college. This enabled him to get his wish, for the money was enough to pay for his education.
12. THE BOY AND THE MAD DOG
One day in the town of Weser, in Germany, a boy was playing with his little sister, four years old. Suddenly the boy saw rushing down the hill a mad dog followed by men, trying to stop it. In a moment the boy saw that the dog was running directly toward his little sister. Not thinking for a moment of his own danger, or escape, this brave boy in a flash threw off his coat, wrapped it around his arm, and boldly faced the fierce dog. Holding out his arm, shielded by the coat, the boy turned the dog’s attention to himself, so that the wild beast jumped at him and worried him until the men came up and killed the dog. The men said, “Why did you not run away from the dog? You could easily have done it.” “Yes,” answered the boy, “but if I had he would have attacked my sister. I thought I would let the dog tear my coat instead of her!”
13. THE GIRL AND HER RED PETTICOAT
Jennie Clark, a little girl only eleven years old, who lived in Ohio, was walking along a railroad track one hot summer afternoon when she noticed that a wooden bridge over a deep ravine was on fire, evidently caught from a spark from an engine. She knew that in a few moments an excursion train to the World’s Fair was due to pass over the bridge. As quick as a flash the little heroine snatched off her red petticoat, and ran swiftly up the track toward the approaching train, waving her red petticoat as a danger-signal. The engineer saw the warning and stopped the train in time to save the lives of the passengers. Among the hundreds of passengers who were saved were a number of Frenchmen who, on their return to France, told this story of the brave little American girl who had saved the train. The story reached the ears of President Carnot, who, after communicating with President McKinley, bestowed upon her the Cross of the Legion of Honor. This young girl of Ohio, who so courageously gave herself in such heroic service, was the youngest person in the world to wear the Cross of the Legion of Honor, France’s highest award for heroic service in time of war and peace!
14. THE NEWSBOY OF GARY
Billy Rough was a crippled newsboy who owned a news-stand on a busy street corner in Gary, Ind. But, though a cripple, Billy was such a cheerful soul that he did far more than sell newspapers. He gave away sunshine. He knew his customers and was interested in all their affairs. As he handed them their papers he asked, with neighborly cheerfulness, about their welfare. If the crippled boy had troubles himself, no one ever knew of them. He was far more anxious to help others bear their burdens than to add to them by any tales of his own woes. One day he read in the newspaper of a young girl who had been terribly burned as the result of a motorcycle accident. The doctors said her life could only be saved by grafting some one else’s skin upon the burned flesh. Billy Rough said to himself: “I’m only a poor cripple. My life is not of much account. I will offer my skin.” He was told that amputation would be necessary and very dangerous. He said: “If it will save the girl, take it off. I’ll save money. I’ll only have to buy one shoe. The leg is of no use to me. Maybe it’ll help her. I’d like to be of some use to some one.” He saved her life, but lost his own, for soon after the grafting, he died, saying: “I’m glad I done it. Yes, I’m going, but I was some good in the world after all.” The Mayor of Gary, impressed with this heroic self-sacrifice, issued a proclamation announcing that contributions for a memorial would be received. Nine hundred dollars, which had been sent in for his use before he died, were turned over to the memorial committee. A statue in Jefferson Park, a bronze tablet in the building where his news-stand stood, and an endowed room in the Gary Hospital where he lay before his death, all testify that the name of Billy Rough, the crippled newsboy and hero of Gary, will have an enduring place in the annals of American heroes.