The Earle family : Ralph Earle and his descendants

23O THE EARLE FAMILY [Seventh
grudging sentiments. He was a plain, good man, with a serious
kindliness of mien and of spirit,—one of those
' Religious men who give to God and man their dues.'
In his religious sympathies he was with the Society of Friends, of
whose church he was an active and prominent member. He was a
Friend indeed, worthy of the name which the followers of George
Fox, with modest discrimination, have chosen for themselves.
His youth and middle life were laborious and successful. No
dollar of his wealth was unjustly earned, or left harm or wrong
behind in the earning. He did not crave excessive riches, but retired
in due season from the accumulation of wealth to what was more
consistent with his plan of life, the moderate and benevolent use of
it. If, in his later years, his thoughts were again turned to the anxie-
ties of business, it was no doubt for the sake of others and not for his
own. He was a diligent steward of what was entrusted to his care,
and no small part of his means, as of his time, was given to public
uses or in acts of charity. The catalogue of his good deeds is too
long to be written on earth, and no man took less pains to publish
them. Of his public employments none were very conspicuous.
Such he never sought, being more anxious to put his shoulder to the
wheel than to ride in the cushioned seat. It is worth mentioning
that he was one of the founders of the American Social Science
Association, having signed the call for the first meeting, in 1865, and
having been a constant member since, though seldom taking part in
any but its business meetings. In this, as in many of his other
affairs, his wife was one with himself, and they were earnest from
the first that women should have a place in the government of the
association, which has always been the case."
The only child of Edward and Ann (Buffum) Earle was :
1964-1. Anne B. Earle, b. July 28, 1838; m. James S. Rogers.
[930-6]. Mary 7 Bowron Earle (Timothy, 6 Robert,
Robert^ Ralph,* William, 2 Ralph 1
), dau. of Timothy
and Ruth (Keese) Earle, b. Feb. 5, 1819, in Leicester,
Mass. ; m. Sept. 30, 1840, Jonathan L. (d. June 24,
1879), °f Providence, R. I., son of Ebenezer and Alice
(Spencer) Slocum, of South Kingston, R. I., and lives
in Providence.
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