about fifty or sixty years ago. Although the house was
so completely renewed, the greatest care was used to make it look as
nearly as possible as it did at the time of Shakespeare's birth in
1564. That window above the entrance, with the little diamond panes,
is the original, and is in the room in which the Poet was born."

Going under the old porch and through the door with its high
threshold, our friends found themselves in the family living-room of
the house. It is low and rather dark, and has whitewashed walls and an
earthen floor. This was in all probability the kitchen and dining-room
as well, and one is reminded of the fact by a huge fireplace which
juts out into the room. In olden times this would have been filled
with great pots and kettles hanging over the fire on cranes. The
chimney is deep enough and wide enough to have two little seats within
it--one on either side. John quickly bent down and seated himself
where he could look straight up the chimney and see a square patch of
blue sky.

When Mrs. Pitt saw him, she smiled and said, "No doubt, Shakespeare
himself, when he was a small boy, often sat right there with his
brothers and sisters. It must have been very pleasant on cold winter
evenings, to creep into these 'inglenooks,' as they were called,
beside the great blazing fire, and tell stories. I think the children
should have felt themselves very lucky to have such delightfully warm
quarters!"

From a small entry at the rear of this room, the narrow winding stairs
lead to the floor above. Before going up, Mrs. Pitt wrote their names
in the huge Visitors' Book. Betty was much pleased to find, while
carelessly turning its pages, the name of a girl friend who had been
in England the previous summer.

"How queer that I should see Evelyn's name!" she exclaimed; "but I
guess almost everybody who visits England comes to this house."

"Aye! We 'ave thousands of visitors 'ere every year, Miss, and the
most of 'em are Americans, it do appear to me! They do be powerful
fond o' Shakespeare!" The attendant shook his head knowingly as he
gave Betty this information.

One of the most interesting rooms in the whole world is that chamber
on the second floor in which the great Shakespeare was born. In
itself, it is not in any way remarkable; it contains but a chair or
two, and an old table, which holds a bust of the Poet. But its plaster
walls, low ceiling, and even its window-panes, are inscribed with the
names o