The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1915-05-28
LIKE CINDERELLA
CLARA MADE GOOD
Suppressed by Her Uncle and
Cousins, She Had Hard
GirIhood.
WORKED IN FLORISTS SHOP
Being Compelled to Learn the euS''
ness, When the Time Came she
Opened Her Own Establish
ment and Succeeded.
By OSBORN MARSHALL.

By OSBORN MARSHALL.
Copyright, Mcclure Newspaper oynu''
cate.) -,
The main difference between 'he
story of Clara Carrick and the fa'rs
story of cinderella" lies in the TACT
that while the old-time Ella OF lne
juvenile was a neglected stepoausn-
ter the real fesh-and-blood Cara Oh
the story was a much-abuseo niece
The story-book heroine sat IN 'he CHI
ders and scrubbed the pots and pans
for her naughty stepsisters, but cara
Carrick spent most of her youtlilui
days behind the counter in her uncle
florist shop while her much-lndulseu
cousins attended school, took muSlc
lessons went to parties and otnel'
wise passed their days as young siiiS
are expected to do
Old Mr., Carrick, the uncle of CARA
Carrick had monopoly of the flower
selling business in a certain sfhaii
college town in New England more
than a decade ago. The name Carrlck
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 of1er'
ing OF American Beauties OF Killarnies
to one of the pretty town girls, you
went to Carrick's. and usually you
would have been waited on by CARA
who seemed to live behind the dlngy
old counter in an atmosphere OF now
or pots. Usually when you went lnto
the store her nimble young fingers
were working on some set piece 1or
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 Carr1ck
girls-the florists two pretty daugn-
ters-to go to college dances, no one
ever thought Of asking Clara
Had to Teach Herself.
Clara had been left fatherless 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
a burden of herself and taat she
should help IN the store. When INT
school inspector came around, as NJ
occasionally did, the uncle evadea MI
questions as to whether Clara Wa
being sent to school. And no one il
the town felt sufficiently interested t
report him for SO doing.
But Clara used to get hold OF ne
cousins school books after they &c
through with them, and it was not
.. very difficult matter for her to teac
herself many of the lessons that ne
cousins had trouble in mastering
And all the time she was learnin
more and more about the florist
business. First she simply waited o
customers. Then she became so prof
cient at making bouquets and sc
pieces that Mr.. Carrick intrusted he
with all of this work, and this som'
times kept her busy far into the nigh
wiring and arranging the many bio
SONS that were needed in the d.
signs. Then when her uncle mad
the discovery that she had been stud
ing arithmetic by herself, after alloy
ing a suitable time for his assume
anger to wear off, he suggested to HI
that she take charge Of the accoun
and the sending out Of the bills.
IF you haven't enough to do ar
can waste your time reading boo
that aren't meant for you, you mig
get busy and do something to pay
back a little for all the money '
have had to spend on you" was
way of indicating that he would II
her to undertake this new work.
The next task which was given
Clara was that Of going to the flow
market. This she was expected
do frst when she had arrived at
age of seventeen. It involved goi
to the nearby city and choosing a
purchasing the various cut flowers q
plants that were needed In the br
ness.
It was an opportunity to get av
from the tedious bondage of the 81
and to see little of the world,
the girl was not eager to do it.
fact, for the first time in her rat
trying experience with her uncle,
rebelled.
Was Ashamed Of Her Clothes.
The reason for her rebellion
cousins were not long In discover
Poor little Clara was ashamed of
clothes she wore-the heavy, ST.
serge dresses that were given to
by her inconsiderate relatives.
logged to wear trim shirtwaists,
bon ows and leather belts, evel
they were the old ones discarded
her cousins. AS mark of great
diligence, Clara was allowed to do
for a while and then the uncle
cided that he could not afford the
pense, for although the shirtws
were old and although Clara sat