It’s a common trope that the middle child of a family is often the misfit, the oddball, and the one left out. While this is a generalization, it’s a fact that the second of three children can end up caught between the leadership of the firstborn and the pampering of the youngest.
In the 19th-century trio of the Peabody sisters, Mary (1806–1887) was the middle girl. The family later had three sons, making six children in all. The eldest was the strong-minded Elizabeth (1804–1894), who made decisions and financial provisions for the whole family. The artistic youngest girl was Sophia (1809–1871), whose health problems required her mother’s constant care.
