arming portraitures of character, and quaint and comic
descriptions of social eccentricities. A deep vein of reflection
underlies the whole narrative, often rising naturally to the surface,
and revealing the strength of the foundation on which the subtle, aerial
inventions of the author are erected. His frequent dashes of humor
gracefully blend with the monotone of the story, and soften the harsher
colors in which he delights to clothe his portentous conceptions. In no
former production of his pen, are his unrivalled powers of description
displayed to better advantage. The rusty wooden house in
Pyncheon-street, with its seven sharp-pointed gables, and its huge
clustered chimney--the old elm tree before the door--the grassy yard
seen through the lattice-fence, with its enormous fertility of
burdocks--and the green moss on the slopes of the roof, with the flowers
growing aloft in the air in the nook between two of the gables--present
a picture to the eye as distinct as if our childhood had been passed in
the shadow of the old weather-beaten edifice. Nor are the characters of
the story drawn with less sharp and vigorous perspective. They stand out
from the canvas as living realities. In spite of the supernatural
drapery in which they are enveloped, they have such a genuine expression
of flesh and blood, that we can not doubt we have known them all our
days. They have the air of old acquaintance--only we wonder how the
artist got them to sit for their likenesses. The grouping of these
persons is managed with admirable artistic skill. Old Maid Pyncheon,
concealing under her verjuice scowl the unutterable tenderness of a
sister--her woman-hearted brother, on whose sensitive nature had fallen
such a strange blight--sweet and beautiful Phebe, the noble
village-maiden, whose presence is always like that of some shining
angel--the dreamy, romantic descendant of the legendary wizard--the
bold, bad man of the world, reproduced at intervals in the bloody
Colonel, and the unscrupulous Judge--wise old Uncle Venner--and
inappeasable Ned Higgins--are all made to occupy the place on the canvas
which shows the lights and shades of their character in the most
impressive contrast, and contributes to the wonderful vividness and
harmony of the grand historical picture. On the whole, we regard "The
House of the Seven Gables," though it exhibits no single scenes that may
not be matched in depth and pathos by some of Mr. Hawthorne's previous
crea