Arms and the Man
Young Croesus went to pay his call
On Colonel Sawbones, Caxton Hall:
And, though his wound was healed and mended,
He hoped he’d get his leave extended.
The waiting-room was dark and bare.
He eyed a neat-framed notice there
Above the fireplace hung to show
Disabled heroes where to go
For arms and legs; with scale of price,
And words of dignified advice
How officers could get them free.
Elbow or shoulder, hip or knee,
Two arms, two legs, though all were lost,
They’d be restored him free of cost.
Then a Girl Guide looked to say,
‘Will Captain Croesus come this way?’
–Siegfried Sassoon, The Old Huntsman and Other Poems, 1918
This Sassoon family is incredibly talented!!!! And successful. They have entrepreneurs, doctors, literary giants, you-name-it-they-have-it, etc. in that extended family. Excellence seems to breed excellence, which is rare. Usually, successful parents have less successful kids because the pressure is intense. It’s a rare family where successful parents have successful kids. And a whole extended family… wow! One of kind, surely.
One of A kind, not one of kind.
I so far haven’t figured out how to enable editing on comments, alas. Sorry about that!