Calico Illustrated Calssics: The House of the Seven Gables
Table of Contents CHAPTER 1 The Old Pyncheon Family 4 CHAPTER 2 The Little Shop Window 10 CHAPTER 3 A Day Behind the Counter 18 CHAPTER 4 May and November 23 CHAPTER 5 Maule’s Well 28 CHAPTER 6 The Guest 35 CHAPTER 7 The Pyncheon of Today 41 CHAPTER 8 Clifford and Phoebe 46 CHAPTER 9 The Arched Window 52 CHAPTER 10 The Daguerreotypist 58 CHAPTER 11 Holgrave’s Tale 64 CHAPTER 12 Phoebe’s Good-bye 73 CHAPTER 13 The Scowl and the Smile 77 CHAPTER 14 The Flight of the Two Owls 87 CHAPTER 15 Governor Pyncheon 92 CHAPTER 16 Alice’s Posies 96 CHAPTER 17 The Departure 107
1 The Old Pyncheon Family Halfway down a narrow New England street stands a rusty wooden house with seven high peaked gables The gables face different directions like squabbling sisters with their backs against a single chimney Directly in front of the house a wide elm overshadows the main entrance The street the house and even the elm are known by the name of Pyncheon With its faded glory the house looks haunted by its past Perhaps it is This grand house was not the first home to sit on this spot A shaggy thatched cottage once stood in its very spot It was owned by Matthew Maule A stern Puritan leader named Colonel Pyncheon wanted the land His desire grew 4
despite Maule’s stubborn refusal to sell Eventually Maule met the fate of many whose property became interesting to rich Puritan leaders he was accused of witchcraft Some have said that Maule did have access to mysterious powers At any rate Maule was found guilty and was soon executed Colonel Pyncheon went to the execution and Maule spoke a last chilly prophecy as he pointed a shaking finger toward the colonel God will give him blood to drink This prediction made many townspeople nervous but not the stern colonel He built the great house with its seven gables right on the spot of Maule’s cottage He even dared to hire Maule’s own son to oversee work on the house Then Pyncheon threw a party On the day of the party food and drink flowed freely to the guests They had only one cause for complaint the old man never showed himself at his own party 5
