Transcriber's note: Unusual and inconsistent spelling is as printed. [Illustration: _Old Stanfield House.—Frontispiece._ "Evening, Zeke," said Cassius.] THE OLD STANFIELD HOUSE; OR, THE SIN OF COVETOUSNESS. BY LUCY ELLEN GUERNSEY AUTHOR OF "IRISH AMY," "THE FAIRCHILDS," "RHODA'S EDUCATION," ETC., ETC. —————————— "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world." —————————— PHILADELPHIA: AMERICAN SUNDAY-SCHOOL UNION NO. 1122 CHESTNUT STREET. —————————— NEW YORK: NO. 8 AND 10 BIBLE HOUSE, ASTOR PLACE. CHICAGO: 73 RANDOLPH ST. ———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1880, by the AMERICAN SUNDAY-SCHOOL UNION, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. ———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— CONTENTS. —————— CHAP. I.—THE OLD HOUSE II.—SCHOOL III.—AUNT BETSY IV.—CASSIUS V.—CALISTA ASKS A QUESTION VI.—THE SECRET DRAWER VII.—MISS MEEKS VIII.—MARY IX.—THE STORM BREAKS X.—MISS DRUETT XI.—THE NEEDLE-CASE XII.—THE TRUNKS XIII.—THE OLD MEETING-HOUSE XIV.—OLD JAEL XV.—EVIL INFLUENCES XVI.—THE FAIR XVII.—MR. FABIAN CALLS AGAIN XVIII.—MISS PRISCILLA XIX.—MISS PRISCILLA MAKES CHANGES XX.—AN EXPLOSION THE OLD STANFIELD HOUSE. —————— CHAPTER FIRST. THE OLD HOUSE. CALISTA STANFIELD stood at the gate of the old Stanfield place one morning in the latter end of May, looking abroad over the fields. The house stood on a little rise of ground such as in that part of the world is dignified by the name of a hill. The foreground of the picture on which she was looking was not very cheerful in itself, being neither more nor less than an old family burying-ground, very full of gravestones, and with one tall monument towering over all. Now an old graveyard need not be a melancholy sight, provided that the grass be kept green, the stones whole, and the enclosure free from ugly weeds. That on which Calista was looking bore traces of utter neglect. Beyond the graveyard spread fenced fields, some in pasture, others in the carefully-marked squares which showed that they were meant for sweet potatoes, or were tinted with the pale green blades of the springing corn. Low-growing oaks, with here and there a large tree, closed is the prospect.