His father 's alcoholism and ill health stopped him from training Arnold in the family business , but his mother 's family connections secured an apprenticeship for Arnold with two of her cousins , brothers Daniel and Joshua Lathrop , who operated a successful apothecary and general merchandise trade in Norwich . His father 's alcoholism and ill health kept him from training Arnold in the family mercantile business , but his mother 's family connections secured an apprenticeship for Arnold with two of her cousins , brothers Daniel and Joshua Lathrop , who operated a successful apothecary and general merchandise trade in Norwich .