Rhode Island American And Gazette

Heroism of Filial Affection.—In the course of the last winter, five Dutch gentlemen set out from Rotterdam to travel on skates to Amsterdam. They had passed over about twelve miles of the waste of inland waters, which extends between the two cities, and were with the exception of one of the party who kept apart, skating with great velocity, in close files, and hands linked in the Dutch manner, and were striking out far from the shore, when at once, the whole file was precipitated through the ice, and two of the four were hardly seen to rise again. The other two were father and son, both remarkably fine men and the father an expert swimmer, which enabled him to support himself and his son too, for a considerable time, during which he was so collected as to give directions to the only one of the party, who had not fallen in, how he should conduct himself to afford assistance; but at length he gave utterance to the thought that his son's continuing to hold him would be the death of both.—The son immediately kissed the father, and with the familiar and endearing expression he was accustomed to, bade him 'good night,' loosed his hold, and deliberately resigned himself to death. The father lives, and the name, at least, of Henry Hock, the son, must live also.—Liverpool Courier.