^|aHark!^a| Twelve two eleven ^|afour cater^a| ten ^|asix ^|bseix sax^b|.^a| eigh ^|aHark!^a| seven eight ^|aEight seven Pedwar pemp^a|. Five three. Twelve. Methought 'twas the peal of midnight bells midnight's chime from out the belfry of the ^|acute^a| old speckled church, sounding so ^|afaintly faint a^a| twelve as darkness rendered all ^|aBritish objects^{a| |a}invisible nonviewable^a| to human watcher save perchance anon some glittery gleam adown the surface of the fluvial flowandflow or again it might be sundry articles of laundry reposing upon the ^|asward greensward^a| hard by in full expectation. And methought broadmouth was heard and all vociferated:, Shaun echoating: Shaun! Shaun! Post the post! And lo methought somewhat was seemed ^|ato move amove^a| amongst the murk, now 'twas ^|aas a^a| clump, now 'twas mayhap. When lo there was light and ^|ait approached in^a| now 'twas a flasher anon more as the glow. Ah, it was 'twas, in verity 'twas, his belted lamp. And he who swayed before ^|ame^|b, will o' the wisp, coat on shoulder,^b|a| was none other than (the blessing of God & Mary & Patrick be ^|aon all over^a| him) other than (may his hundred thousand welcome letters multiply & plultiply) Shaun himself.

Had I the concordant ^|alore wiseheads^a| of Messrs Gregory & ^|aTarpey and Lyons^a|
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along with Dr Tarpey's and the Rev. Mr MacDougall's ^|abut, poor ass, I but I, poor ass,^a| am but as their fourpart other ass yet methought Shaun (holy angels direct him be ^|auninterruptedly^a| guiding him along the winding roads of random ever!) Shaun in proper person (may the constellations be his considering compass!) was before me and he spake. And lo meheard ^|aI saw^a| the voice of him ^|ahow it^a| sighed to the scented ^|anight nightlife^a| as softly as the tall telegraph ^|amasts poleº^a| at Clifden sigh ^|aopen^a| secrets to Nova Scotia ^|alistening ladies listing sisterpoles^a|.

— Alas, Shaun said, ^|astaring upon the soil he loved,^a| I am all too unworthy for such eminence, or prominence, to be exact as to bear this letter on his majesty's service —

— But ^|atell me have I asked you^a|, dear Shaun, I said, who it was gave you the permit?

— I, replied to me Shaun, have it from S. Columkille's prophecies.

— Then, I said, you ^|aare might be^a| so by order?

— ^|aIt Forgive me^a|, Shaun replied, ^|ais was made known^a| in the prophecies and there is a power over me that is put upon me from on high.

— Dear Shaun, I said, then ^|ait is if it were^a| you ^|awho^a| will bear this letter you speak of?

— As, Shaun replied, ^|afor to^a| that I have the power.

— Tell me, I said, dear Shaun, where ^|ado are^a| you mostly ^|aable to^a| work? ^|aI am mostly able to walk.^a|

— It, Shaun replied, was foretold for
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me ^|anot never^a| to work but, believe me, I say my prayers regularly.

— Yet one ^|aquestion minute's conversation^a|, dear Shaun, for as I observe, you have painted the town green.

— ^|aWith Well, yes^a|, Shaun replied, ^|aWith^a| my post lamp ^|awhich is grandiose^a|.

— Do you mean, I insinuated, that verdure or varnish will?

— In, Shaun replied, the other postal office ^|aalbeit blessed with 22,000 sorters out of a possible 22,000,^{a| |a}too^a| much administrative stationery was eaten by goats. ^|aIt is also one of my ^|bavowed^b| intentions ^|bsometime at some time^b| to make a book concerning that matter.^a|

— And what, dear Shaun, ^|ais would be^a| the biography of your ^|asoftbodied^a| uniform

— ^|aAll None whatsoever^a|, Shaun replied, ^|aAll^a| of it was ^|agiven handed over^a| by me among ^|amy neighbours of every description,^a| the ^|apoor^a| evicted tenants. and that is Therefore I am simply ^|aclothed enveloped^a|, as you ^|aperhaps^a| see, in one of Guinness's ^|aregistered^a| barrels ^|aregistered^a|.º