The Elbert County tribune., 1915-05-28
Suppressed by Her Uncle and
Cousins, She Had Hard
GirIhood.
WORKED IN FLORISTS SHOP
Being Compelled TO Learn the Busl-
ness, When the Time Came She
Opened Her Own Estabieh-
ment and Succeeded.
BY OSBORN MARSHALL.

story of Clara Carrick and the fairy
story of Cinderella" lies in the fact
that while the old-time Ella of the
| juvenile was a neglected stepdaugh-
ter, the real fiesh-and blood Clara OF
the story was a much-abused niece.
The story-book heroine sat In the Gin
ders and scrubbed the pots and pans
for her naughty stepsisters, but Clara
| Carrick spent most of her youthful
days behind the counter in her uncle's
florist shop while her much-indulged
cousins attended school, took music
lessons, went to parties and other
wise passed their days as young girls
are expected to do
Old Mr.. Carrick, the uncle of Clara
Carrick, had monopoly of the flower
selling business in a certain small
college town in New England more
than decade ago. The name Carrick
was synonymous in that town to all
things Horticultural. Whether you
wanted to buy wreath to lay on
soldiers grave on Memorial day or
whether, as a student in the small
college, you wanted to send an offer
ing of American Beauties or Killarnies
to one of the pretty town girls, you
went to Carrick's, and usually you
would have been waited on by Clara,
who seemed to live behind the dingy
old counter in an atmosphere of flow
er pots. Usually when you went into
the store her nimble young fingers
were working on some set piece" for
a funeral-a task at which she was
particularly proficient.
All the students knew Clara Car
rick. for at some time during their
four years course they had sought
the flower market. and without an
exception they all liked her bright
eyes and happy smile. But though
they sometimes asked the Carrick
girls-the florists two pretty daugh-
ters-to go to college dances, no one
ever thought OF asking Clara.
Had to Teach Herself.
Clara had been left fatheriess and
motherless when she was about eight
years old, and she had been taken into
the household OF her uncle on the un-
derstanding that she should not make
q burden of herself and that she
should help in the store. When the
school inspector came around, as he
occasionally did, the uncle evaded his
questions as to whether Clara was
being sent to school And no one in
the town felt sufficiently interested to
report him for so doing
But Clara used to get hold of her
cousins school books after they got
through with them, and it was not
very difficult matter for her to teach
herself many of the lessons that her
cousins had trouble in mastering.
And all the time she was learning
more and more about the florists
business. First she simply waited on
customers. Then she became so prof.
cient at making bouquets and set
pieces that Mr.. Carrick intrusted her
With all of this work, and this some
times kept her busy far into the night,
wiring and arranging the many bios
roms that were needed in the de-
Tgns. Then when her uncle made
the discovery that she had been study
Ing arithmetic by herself, after allow
Ing suitable time for his assumed
pnger to wear off, he suggested to her
That she take charge of the accounts
md the sending out of the bills.
IF you haven't enough to do and
can waste your time reading books
that aren't meant for you. you might
get busy and do something to pay us
back a little for all the money we
have had to spend on you" was his
way of indicating that he would like
her to undertake this new work.
The next task which was given to
Clara was that Of going to the flower
market. This she was expected to
do first when she had arrived at the
age of seventeen. 1t involved going
to the nearby city and choosing and
purchasing the various cut flowers and
plants that were needed in the busi-
ness.
1t was an opportunity to get away
from the tedious bondage of the shop
and to see little of the world. but
the girl was not eager to do it. In
TACT. for the first time in her rather
trying experience with her uncle she
rebelled
Was Ashamed Of Her Clothes,
The reason for her rebellion her
cousins were not long in discovering.
Poor little Clara was ashamed of fhe
clothes she wore-the heavy, stuffy
serge dresses that were given to her
by her inconsiderate relatives. She
longed to wear trim shirtwaists, rib
bon ows and leather belts. even if
they were the old ones discarded by
ner cousins. AS a mark of great in
dulgence, Clara was allowed to do this
for while and then the uncle de-
cided that he could not afford the ex-
pense, for although the shirtwaists
were old and although Clara s,+4un