LITTLE Jennie Clark lived on a farm in Ohio long before you were born, and long before little girls in the country could go to the store with their mothers and buy dresses and petticoats. Jennie’s petticoat was hand-knit. It was made of warm red wool, and had to be fastened around her waist.
One day Jennie was on her way to the big pasture, so she followed the train tracks which ran across the bridge. Suddenly she saw that the huge logs supporting the bridge were on fire. Sparks from an earlier train had started the blaze. Already some of the supports were almost burnt through.
The passenger train was coming any minute. It would be passing over the blazing bridge. Sure enough! She could hear the train in the distance, and she could feel the quivering ground beneath her feet.
Quickly she unfastened her little red petticoat. She held it high over her head and ran down the track toward the train that was coming. The engineer saw the little girl who was wildly waving her red signal. He sounded his whistle, and put on the brakes. But trains do not stop as quickly as automobiles, and it came thundering on. Jennie knew her warning was seen. She jumped off the track in safety. With a screech and a groan the train came to a halt, just a few feet before it reached the burning bridge.
The engineer climbed out of the locomotive and hurried to the little girl. He thanked her for her bravery in saving all his passengers.
One of the passengers in that train was a visitor from France. When he returned to his own country he told about the brave little American girl who stopped the train with her own red petticoat. Soon President Carnot of France heard about it. He sent the Cross of the Legion of Honor to the President of the United States to give to Jennie Clark. Jennie was the youngest person in the world to wear this medal of honor. This medal is France’s highest award for brave, heroic service.
Jennie risked her life, but she did not give it. It was her red petticoat, not her blood, that saved many passengers. But the Lord Jesus gave His life, and shed His blood to reem sinners; it is His precious blood that now saves from sin and death. The President of France honored little Jennie, but the Lord Jesus is honored by God, His Father. He is given a name and a place above all others. He is even now at God’s right hand in Heaven. I wonder if you have thanked Him for dying for you!
Childhood Days
ML-01/21/1973