She was twelve years old at the time.

We had established a rule that each member of the family must bring a fact to breakfast--a fact drawn from a book or from any other source; any fact would answer.

Susy's first contribution was in substance as follows.

Two great exiles and former opponents in war met in Ephesus--Scipio and Hannibal.

Scipio asked Hannibal to name the greatest general the world had produced.
"Alexander"-- and he explained why.
"And the next greatest ?" "Pyrrhus"-- and he explained why.
"But where do you place yourself, then ?" "If I had conquered you I would place myself before the others." Susy's grave comment was-- "That _attracted_ me, it was just like papa--he is so frank about his books." So frank in admiring them, she meant.
[_Thursday, March 28, 1907._] Some months ago I commented upon a chapter of Susy's Biography wherein she very elaborately discussed an article about the training and disciplining of children, which I had published in the "Christian Union" (this was twenty-one years ago), an article which was full of worshipful praises of Mrs.Clemens as a mother, and which little Clara, and Susy, and I had been hiding from this lovely and admirable mother because we knew she would disapprove of public and printed praises of herself.