The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-11-06
Noted Experts
Memoirs.
And the Quakers Of Sixty
Years Ago.

81 .a.
Among the changes which have taken
place in the temper andeconduct of civ
ilized men within the last half century,
none is more marked than those when
have to do with the treatment Of the
insane. The inhumanities and follies
once practiced upon those unfortunate
folk strike us as incredible, yet they
were the logical result of the absurd
and confused ideas as to medicine and
the general ignorance. concerning. anat-
omy and physiology which prevailed. In
edltlng the Memoirs" of Pliny Earle,
M. d., just published, by Damrell &,
Upham of Boston Mr.. r. 81 Sanborn Of
Concord has brought us face to face
Win man who, possessed of great
native talents, seconded by the best
professional education to be obtained in
ms day in America and Europe. had the
genus TO learn the musty traditions of
the past and by a species of prophetic
vision, inaugurate many of the prac-
tlces which have since resulted in the
more scientific and humane treatment
OF the insane and feeble-minded. Be
cause of this, and because he was a
Leicester boy and connected by blood
with many Leicester and Worcester
families, these memoirs have more than
passing interest
Plny Earle, the second of that name.
was born in Leicester in 1909 of the
nine children of the family, John MIL
ton became the editor of The Worces-
ter spy; Thomas, who moved to Phila-
delphia, was the liberty party's candl-
cate Tor the vice presidency; William
BuIfum was an efficient anti-slayery
writer, and one of the leaders Of 4he
movement in Worcester county. Two of
the girls, Sarah and Eliza, established
boarding school for girls. called the.
Mulberry Grove school. and continued
II even after their age-Sarah to
Ghafles Hadwen of Worcester. and
Eiiza to William e. Hacker of Phila-
delphla. Among DR.. Earles connections
az present residing in Worcester are
ms niece and nephew, Mrs Anne II
Southwick and Charles A. Chase. and
ms second cousin, Stephen c. Earle.
Ontll he went away to Providence to
attend boarding school, and at in
lerVals subsequently till the close of
ms life, DR. Earle resided at the old
homestead, which is still standing on
the west side of Mulberry street. in
Leicester Nothing in the memoirs is
more delightful that their local and
anuquarian flavor. In his autobio-
graphy, DR.. Earle gives many glimpses
OF the Leicester of so years ago. In
1917 out of 40 pupils in the district
school, Il We're grand children of Rob
ert Earle, Jr.; at present no child nam
ed Earle is pupil there.
Pllny Earle was ten years old when
he entered Leicester Academy. INV
mother took me in the chaise then gen
orally used-a covered. aoife4horse ear
riage. The preceptor of the English
department which I entered. was
Thomas Fisk, a genial, good natured
man, without much natural taste for
his employment, and not especially fond
of severe work, but who still perform
ed his prescribed duties without cen
sure. But the preceptor % the classi-
cal department was an excellent schol-
ar-John Richardson-a somewhat Sc
we're disciplinarian, with a countenance
really more stern than his character
and silver bowed spectacles, which. be-
ing near-sighted, he constantly wore
and which had the magical power of
making every pupil in the school room
believe the master was looking right at
him.
In 1890 Dr. Earle, then a young man
of q, heard Daniel Webster speak.
THE courtroom was literally over
whelmed with ladies and gentlemen
during the day when he spoke. John
Whipple occupied the forenoon with
his argument. and the company waited
with a pretty good grace until he CON
cluded. Then Webster rose, and hush
came over the audience as if the voice
of a spirit had stilled them. He spoke
for nearly four hours, and l heard him
for an hour; but it was not case
upon which he could show all his
talents"
Seven years later, DR.. Earle sailed
in a packet for a year of medical study
abroad. Among his fellow passengers,
fourteen in all, was an English Quaker,
who upon landing, introduced him at
once to the rich and Dhilanthropic cir
Gle of Quakerism in Great Britain and
Ireland. In this way he met Mrs. Opie,
Mrs. Fry, and many other persons no
ted in the life of the day. DIR. Earle
recorded his Impressions of these two
ladies as follows: Elizabeth Fry has
more dignity in the gallery than any
woman l ever say. This with fluency
and elegance of language, and a voice
rich, melodious, and Of great compass,
renders her a most impressive speak
er. -. The English women Friends
who are elderly ceeul less anxious to
conceal the footsteps of time than do
those in Ameriee, those traces
left by the lapse of years on their per-
sons. However gray the hair may be,
it is not concealed, but frequently
more exposed by bringing it forward
upon the forehead, as Anna Braith-
waite does Mrs. Fry has sandy
complexion and hair corresponding,
now considerably changed by years.
However, she dresses it in the man
ner named, having a portion cut short
and brought from beneath the cap
border through the whole eXpanse of
the forehead She has a more natural
dignity of manner than Amelia Opie,
particularly during her public COM
munications. r.. Although several
years member of our society. Amelia
Opie has not effaced all traces Of her
fashionable life. Her dress, though
quite plain in it's shape, is put on with
showiness of manner not so ccnspicu-
Gus in those who have birthright mem
bership. This effect is heightened by
her gold watch, and is perfected by a
peculiar grace of manner.
He describes dining with Dickens
thus:
Il was punctual to the hour named in
the invitation, 6.15 p. M, and was met
in the entrance hall by two white
gloved men-servants, who showed me
to the library. where / was received by
Mr.. Dickens, his wife, and a young lady
of one and -twenty, with an intelligent,
amiable countenance and a profusion of
curling hair In few minutes Mr.. Pres
colt, of Boston, entered--a son of our
historian of Mexico-soon followed by
Mrs. Macready, wife of the actor, and
she by George Sumner, the brother of
Charles. Conversation ran briskly for
half an hour, when Mr.. Dickens said
it was dinner time, but they were wait
ing for Mr.. Rogers. Hardly had he
spoken when the door opened, and a
man entered, burdened with the weight
of eighty years, short in stature, robust
of body his head large bald, but with
some hair perfectly white-in his gem
eral appearance much resembling the
late Inhn O1lincv Adams This ,une. 4l,n