Petersburg High School - Missile Yearbook (Petersburg, VA)

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THE MISSILE. 17 THE HOUSE OF THE SEVEN GABLES. ATHANiEL Hawthorne, the author of The House of the Seven Gables, was born in Salem, Massachusetts, 1804. His ances- were Puritans, and he was well quali- fied for writing this book because they were persecutors of witchcraft. The ancestors of the characters in the story lived during the time of witch- craft. The scene of this romance is laifl in Salem, Mass- sachusetts, in a house of seven gables, which was built during the time of witchcraft. Hawthorne’s purpose in writing The House of the Seven Gables is to teach us that the wrong-doing of one generation lives into the following generations. The house of the seven gables was the house which Colonel Pyncheon build on the land which he wrested from Matthew Maule, who was executed as a witch. The chief characters, Hepzibah, Clifford, Phoebe, Holgrave, and Judge Pyncheon, are descendants of these two men. Just before Matthew Maule was executed, he pointed to Colonel Pyncheon and said, “God will give him blood to drink!” Colonel Pyncheon had blood to drink and so did his grandchild, Judge Pyncheon. In reading this story we cannot help sympathizing with Hepzibah and Clifford, who were continually worried by Judge Pyncheon. Phoebe and Holgrave are characters we enjoy reading about, while Judge Pyncheon makes us dislike him at once on account of his sultry smile, which

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16 THE MISSILE. “Nay, a thousand times, sooner would I die. Thou art not heavy now,” he finished sadly. So the brave little lad, in great excitement, which lent strength to his weak arms, drew the child on and soon reached her aunt’s castle. As he neared the gate, his strength failed him, and he sank down beside her unconscious. A kind- hearted guard took them to the Duke, not knowing who they were. Marjorie speedily recovered, but the little page for days hovered between life and death. At last one day, when hope was almost gone, he opened his great dark eyes and murmured, “Marjorie.” “I am here,” she answered softly, laying her cool hand on his forehead. “Kiss me, Marjo-r-i-e,” his vo ' ce trailed off into silence. The little girl bent over and kissed him on the lips. He caught her hand, sighed deeply and sank into a deep sleep. When he awoke, his fever had gone, and he began to recover, A month later a small, golden-haired lad clad in black velvet and a black-haired maiden were seen walking with a tall dark man down a street in London. A stranger, standing by, remarked on the beauty of the pair and asked who they were. “Doff thy cap, thou illbred dolt, ’tis Lady Marjorie Gray, daughter of the Duke who dwells in yonder castle, and Lord Kenneth, son of the late Lord Roland, who saved her life. Hast not heard of it ? ’Tis on the tongue of everyone. On Easter they will be married, and the little master will become heir to the Duke’s estate,” answered a bystander, whipping off his cap and bowing to the ground in response to Kenneth’s greeting. Mary Anderson Gilliam, ' in.

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18 THE MISSILE. he bestowed on everybody, and the bad character which he tried to hide by his smile. The house of the seven gables was a very old and dreary house, but it was worse before Phoebe came than afterwards. She seemed to brighten it up and to make it look more cheerful. More burdens and cares were added to Hepzibah’s already heavy burden when Clifford returned from prison, where he had been confined and made to suffer for a crime which Judge Pyncheon had committed. Judge Pyncheon’s visits to Hepzibah’s cent- shop were always very painful to her. On one occasion he declared that he had to speak to Clifford because he believed he knew where he could obtain the title to some property which he desired. While he was in the parlor waiting for Clifford, he suddenly died. Hepzibah and Clifford left the house and boarded a train which was leaving the town at the time. Phoebe came back after a, visit to the country and could not find Hepzibah. Holgrave, who lived in one part of the house, met her at the door, and told her about the Judge’s death. They were closely drawn together by tne sense of being the only ones in the house with the dead. Hepzibah and Clifford returned and found the lost title, then left the house and went to live in the Judge’s country home. I enjoyed reading the story on account of the entertain- ment which it affords, the lesson it teaches, and the humor which the author often uses in describing different things. I think that The House of the Seven Gables is a very good book to be read in the schools. Florence dementis ' 16 ,