But that was the hall life of very early days.  Gradually, in the colonies as in England, the evolution of refinement specialized the home; developed drawing-rooms, dining-rooms, libraries; and so took away from the “great halls” almost all of this intimate life of the household.

There is something pathetic in this desertion of the ancient, central hearthstone.  We thought of Shirley’s old hall growing sadly quiet and chill as it lost the merry chatter about the “tabull-bord”; as saddles and bridles jingled there for the last time on their way to some far outbuilding; as the gentlewomen carried their needlework away, and the little maids followed with their samplers.  At last, all the old life was gone.  Even the master himself came no longer to mull his wine by the andirons; and the very dogs stretched themselves less often and with less content at the chimney-side.

All the rooms at Shirley are richly panelled to the ceiling, and have heavy, ornate cornices and fine, carved mantelpieces and doorways.  The examples of interior woodwork especially regarded by connoisseurs are the panelling in the morning-room, the elaborately carved mantel in the drawing-room, and the handsome doorway between that room and the dining-room.

Upstairs, a central hallway runs through the house, double doors opening at both riverward and landward ends upon broad porticoes.  The bedrooms on either hand are panelled to the ceiling.  They have deep-set windows, open fireplaces, and quaint old-time furnishings.

And people slept here back in the seventeenth century; dreamed here in those faraway times when James Towne, now long buried and almost forgotten, was the capital of the little colony.  Here, in succeeding generations, have slept many notable guests of Shirley.  Tradition includes among these the Duke of Argyle, LaFayette, our own George Washington, and the Prince of Wales.

[Illustration:  The drawing—­room.]

Here, too, are some of the oldest ghosts in America.  Most of these are quiet, well-behaved members of the household; but one ancient shade, Aunt Pratt by name, seems to presume upon her age as old people sometimes will, and is really quite hard to get along with.

Listen to an instance of her downright unreasonableness.  Her portrait used to hang in the drawing-room among those of the Hills (she is or was, or however you say it, a sister of the Colonel Hill who built the mansion); but having become injured it was taken down and put away face to the wall.  Immediately, this ghostly Aunt Pratt showed deep resentment.  Womanlike, she threw herself into a chair in one of these bedrooms and rocked and rocked violently.  Of course she disturbed the whole household; but no matter how noiselessly people stole in to catch her at her tantrums, she was always too quick for them—­the room was empty, the chairs all still.  At last the picture was got out, repaired, and rehung.  At once all was peace and quiet; Aunt Pratt had had her way.