Paul did make the resolve, and earnestly and prayerfully tried to keep it. He was a better and happier being to the end of his life for his adventure on New Year's Eve. JOE'S LETTER _A New Year's Story_ BY A.L.O.E. _Author of "The Claremont Tales,"_ _"The White Bear's Den," &c._ [Illustration] MARSHALL BROTHERS, LTD. LONDON, EDINBURGH. JOE'S LETTER BY A.L.O.E. [Illustration: "No, Granny, I can't see him."] JOE'S LETTER A New Year's Story. —————— CHAPTER I. "GO again, child, and see if the postman ben't coming down the lane! It's past nine, sure he ought to be here!" This was the third time that old Janet Jones had sent her little Annie out into the snow, on the last day of the year. It was clear that the cottager was expecting the postman to bring her some very important letter indeed. "No, Granny, I can't see him," said Annie, as for the third time she came back from the road, shaking the flakes from her hair, and stamping the snow from her boots. "Perhaps our old clock is wrong." "Everything is wrong, I think," muttered Janet Jones, who was employed in taking some filberts out of a basket, to put in glasses to sell in her window. "Half these nuts are bad, and only fit for the fire!" And into the fire she flung some that were indeed but empty husks. "Yes," went on the old woman, knitting her brows into very deep furrows, "the old year ends badly enough with me. The pig dead, the potatoes bad, the weather sharp, and the pocket empty. These be very hard times!" "But Joe, dear Joe, is sure to send you money, Granny," said Annie, who stood leaning against the wall. She did not sit down, for she expected soon to be sent a fourth time to look for the postman. "Joseph ought to," replied Janet, as sharply as if the child had said that her brother would send not a penny. "He, a great tall fellow, earning good wages, fifteen pounds a year, and everything found, feeding on the fat of the land, and dressed as smart as a goldfinch! It will be hard if he can't spare something for his poor old Granny in her need." "Joe will—I know that he will. He loves you so much," cried Annie. "We'll soon see how much," said old Janet, "words without deeds are like husks without seeds." And angrily she threw another rotten nut into the fire. Annie, to take off her grandmother's mind from her troubles, began to tell her what she had seen the day before at the Hall, when sent up with some work done for the ladies.