Creating Friction from History

"Mo-ommmmmmmmmmmmmm; do we hafta?!" Mary Anna and Elizabeth Margaret Donner asked in pure harmony. Neither poor girl, now 14 and 15, respectively, had ever liked getting their picture taken. Of course, this was back in the day, before parents could just readily go around snapping photographs aplenty of their prides and joys.

Even as young children, as far back as their parents John and Clara could remember, Mary and Lizzie had never begged for attention either: they were usually more than happy with each other's company, if that. Actually, it seemed that both girls were indeed happiest when le...