# Ned Higgins — The House of the Seven Gables character guide

> Ned Higgins in The House of the Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

**Role:** minor

**Also known as:** little Ned Higgins, Ned

**First appearance:** 0004-iii-the-first-customer

## Who they are

A young boy who is Hepzibah's first customer at her shop.

## In the story

### [II: The Little Shopwindow](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se/chapters/ii-the-little-shopwindow)

A little boy who passes by the shopwindow, another early morning token observed by Hepzibah.

### [III: The First Customer](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se/chapters/iii-the-first-customer)

A young schoolboy who is the first actual paying customer; he buys a gingerbread Jim Crow, then returns shortly after.

### [IV: A Day Behind the Counter](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se/chapters/iv-a-day-behind-the-counter)

First customer of the day, buying a Jim Crow and an elephant gingerbread, described as a 'little cannibal.'

### [May and November](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se/chapters/v-may-and-november)

A young customer who buys gingerbread figures, including two dromedaries and a locomotive.

### [VIII: The Pyncheon of Today](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se/chapters/viii-the-pyncheon-of-today)

Ned Higgins, the young customer, buys eggs and raisins and asks Phoebe about 'Old Maid Pyncheon's brother,' showing the spread of gossip.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se/characters/ned_higgins
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se/characters