The House of the Seven Gables

Clifford comfortably spends his mornings drifting off to sleep while Hepzibah looks after him, and Phoebe takes care of the store. Phoebe, however, pushes Clifford to go out in the garden, and he enjoys this as he “slowly revived from the chill torpor of his life” (147).

The narrator lingers over the happenings in the garden, describing them as Edenic. The birds are paramount in this Eden. The “feathered society”—the hens in the garden—are an “immemorial heirloom in the Pyncheon family” (150). Clifford insists that all the birds should be released from confinement, and they, like the humans, enjoy the garden. In particular, they enjoy the water of Maule’s Well, which is “nauseous” to humans. The chickens, the water, and the garden help Clifford to heal.

Uncle Venner and Hargrove have repaired the arbor, so there is shelter outside, even from the rains, and it makes a pleasant retreat for not only Clifford but everyone who spends time at the house: Hepzibah, Phoebe, Clifford, Hargrove, and Venner. They even create a new tradition in the old garden of gathering every Sunday to collect and eat the currants.

At the end of these Sunday gatherings, though, Clifford often becomes sad, murmuring, “I want my happiness!” (157).