The Earle family : Ralph Earle and his descendants

214 THE EARLE FAMILY [Seventh
nature. Ever since knowing him, the old and oft-repeated line of
Pope's,
'An honest man 's the noblest work of God,'
has had, for us, a profounder significance than we had thitherto perceived
in it. We think it was his intense love of justice that made
him so earnest and unintermitting a worker. Such another worker
we are not sure that we ever knew. And taking the definition of
worship given by Carlyle's famous monk, he was also one of the
devoutest of worshippers,—' Work is worship.' * * * *
A short time before his death Mr. Earle was asked if he had any
dread of dying, and answered with a smile, ' not the least,' but expressed
some regret that he could not remain to complete his various
unfinished works. * * * *
' I never,' we once heard Dr. Follen say, ' witnessed a virtuous
act but it increased my faith in man's immortality.' By how much
more is one's faith in that doctrine increased when one looks at the
life of an honest and able man ! Thomas Earle yet lives and works.
He lives and works in a higher sphere ; and he lives and works, as
he lived and worked while visibly among us, for humanity. God be
thanked for the gift of such a man."
His widow— herself the possessor of an unusually brilliant intel-
lect—thus wrote of him :
" In generous disregard of self, in the kindest forbearance for the
weaknesses and errors of others, in patient investigation of all sub-
jects, moral, intellectual and physical, and in steadfast adherence to
truth and honor, I have never seen his equal ;
" and of his own principles,
he said,—"My democracy is that which was advocated by
Jefferson ;
my religion, that of the New Testament."
The children of Thomas and Mary (Hussey) Earle were:
1S9S-1.
1899-2.
1900-3.
Phebe H. Earle, b. Aug. 9, 1821 ; in. Joseph Gibbons.
George H. Earle, b. Dec. 8, 1823 ; m. Ellen Frances
Van Leer.
Henry Earle, b. Nov. 15, 1S29 ; m. Martha B. Earle
[ lS93"5]
1901-4.
d. Oct. ! 9, 1874.
Caroline Earle, b. Sept. 28, 1S33: in. Sept. 28, 1854,
Richard P. (b. Feb. ig'iSz^^sSfr^f Thomas White, of
Londonderry, Ireland, ancMives A
in Philadelphia. ,-Pa. ;
1 son, Thomas Earle White, b. Nov. 18, 1857 >^"-^e^- 9, 18S0, Martha Stockton (d. Sept. 4, iSSt,).^^^-^^
Caroline Earle White has for many years been the President
of the Woman's Branch of the Pennsylvania Society for the Preven-
tion of Cruelty to Animals, and one of the most earnest and active
members of that association. Her several annual reports, prepared
'