Daisy and Demi

           IcannotfeelthatIhavedonemydutyashumblehistorianoftheMarchfamily,withoutdevotingatleastonechaptertothetwomostpreciousandimportantmembersofit.DaisyandDemihadnowarrivedatyearsofdiscretion,forinthisfastagebabiesofthreeorfourasserttheirrights,andgetthem,too,whichismorethanmanyoftheireldersdo.Ifthereeverwereapairoftwinsindangerofbeingutterlyspoiledbyadoration,itwastheseprattlingBrookes.Ofcoursetheywerethemostremarkablechildreneverborn,aswillbeshownwhenImentionthattheywalkedateightmonths,talkedfluentlyattwelvemonths,andattwoyearstheytooktheirplacesattable,andbehavedwithaproprietywhichcharmedallbeholders.Atthree,Daisydemandeda‘needler’,andactuallymadeabagwithfourstitchesinit.Shelikewisesetuphousekeepinginthesideboard,andmanagedamicroscopiccookingstovewithaskillthatbroughttearsofpridetoHannah’seyes,whileDemilearnedhisletterswithhisgrandfather,whoinventedanewmodeofteachingthealphabetbyformingletterswithhisarmsandlegs,thusunitinggymnasticsforheadandheels.Theboyearlydevelopedamechanicalgeniuswhichdelightedhisfatheranddistractedhismother,forhetriedtoimitateeverymachinehesaw,andkeptthenurseryinachaoticcondition,withhis‘sewinsheen’,amysteriousstructureofstring,chairs,clothespins,andspools,forwheelstogo‘woundandwound’.