Arthur MacMurrough Kavanagh stared in shock at the letter from his mother. She had written to say that she was cutting off his money. As he reread the page, the sensations of India intruded – a peacock’s cry, the smell of spices, a gentle wind through palm leaves. An Irishman alone in a foreign land, he was twenty years old and had just thirty shillings left in his pocket. This situation would be hard enough for most people, even today, but this was the year 1851, and he had been born with only partial stumps in place of normal functioning arms and legs. What could he do? Instead of despairing, he decided to get a job.
A Man For All Seasons
Throughout his life, Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus wore many hats. He was a humble farmer, an aristocrat, and a member of the patrician class. He was given absolute power over the people of ancient Rome on two occasions and voluntarily gave it up each time. What made Cincinnatus famous in his time – and a legend in ours – is the fact that he was an honorable man.