Hark!

Tolv two elf kater ten sax.

Hork!

Pedwar pemp foify tray. Twelve!

^|3And low stole o'er the stillness the heartbeats of sleep.^3| Methought as I was going asleep somewhereº in nonland of where's please I heard as 'twere the peal of midnight's chimes from out the belfry of the cute old speckled church tolling so faint atwelve as nighthood rendered all animated British objects nonviewable to human watchers save 'twere perchance anon some glistery gleam darkling adown surface of affluvial flowandflow as again might seem garments of laundry reposing a greensward close at hand in full expectation. And as I was going along in a dream as dozing I was dawdling, arrah, methought ^|3broadmouth broadtone^3| was heard and all vociferated, echoating: Shaun! Shaun! Post the post! With a high voice and, O, the higher on high the deeper and low. I heard him so. And lo methought somewhat came of the noise and somewho seemed amove among allmurk now 'twas as clump, now mayhap. When lo was light and now 'twas as flasher now more as the glow. Ah, in unlitness 'twas in verity, ^|3bless me,^3| 'twas his belted lamp. Ay, he who so swayed a will of a wisp before me, dressed like an earl in just the correct wear, in a
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classy freeswinging o'coat of far superior ruggedness freeswinging from his shoulther and thickwelted brogues on him hammered to suit the Irish people and climate^|3, iron heels and sparable soles,^3| and his jacket of woollies with ^|3green and white and yellow effects out of it and^3| a softrolling ^|3lisp of a^3| lapel to it and red sealingwax buttons and his invulnerable burlap waistcoat and the overshirt she he showed inside of it, snowy starspangled zephyr with a decidedly surplice front ^|3with his motto through life embroidered through it in green, white and jaundice: R for royal, M for mail, R.M.D. hard cash on the nail.^3| and the most successfully carried trousers now you ever saw, breaking over the ankle and hugging the shoeheel everything the best — none other from (Ah, thenº may the blessings of God and Mary and Patrick and Brigid be tumbling all over him!) other than (and may his hundred thousand welcome letters multiply, ay, ^|3faith,^3| and plultiply!) Shaun himself!

Had I the concordant wiseheads of Messrs Gregory and Lyons alongside of Dr Tarpey's and the reverend Mr MacDougall's but I, poor ass, am but as their fourpart ass. Yet methought Shaun (holy messenger angels be uninterruptedly nudging him among and along the winding ways
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of random ever!) Shaun in proper person (now may all the backsliding constellations continue to form his changeable timetable!) stood before me. And I tell you my word that young fellow looked the stuff. ^|3A prime card if ever was!^3| Now without deceit it is hardly too much to say he was looking grand, so fired smart, in much more than his usual health, he was immense, topping swell for he was after having a great time ^|3of it^3| in a porterhouse where he had recruited his strength by means of ^|3mounds of food constituting^3| his three principal meals ^|3plus a collation^3|, his breakfast of half a pound of bacon and eggs, then came his dinner of a half a pound of round steak ^|3& bacon^3| with some chops thrown in by the proprietoress and gravy and a splendid spanished onion and then finally to his regret his supper ^|3& nightcap^3|, vitellusit, bacon with some cold breast of veal ^|3stuffed^{3| |3}with ^|a|bbroad kidney^b|a| beans while 'twas 'twas after that he scoffed a young duckling snuggily stuffed followed following cold ^|abreast loin^a| of veal cum cabbage & peas. ^|aAnd bread & corn.^a| And the best of wine. ^|aMind you,^a|3| I don't mean to say for the moment that he was gluttonous ^|3as regards edibles^3| but he liked his ^|3feed tuck^3| a lot ^|3every time he felt like ^|astuffing grubbing^a|3|. And he was so jaunty with a schoolgirl's complexion sitting pretty over his face and he was plainly out on the mash for he sproke.

When lo meheard I saw the voice of Shaun how so it sighed to scented nightlife
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as softly as the loftly marconimasts from Clifden sigh open tireless secrets to Nova Scotia's listing sisterpoles.

— Alas alone alanna aroon! Shaun yawned, addressing himself and complaining ^|3that it was so close and^3| of the fact of him earning his bread in the sweat of his feet as, having moistened his mouth on the quiet and scooped his molars and grinders clean with his two forefingers, he sank down at once ^|3|ain disgust disgusted^a| with himself^3| upon the native heath he loved, covered with virgin bush. Well, I'm ^|3literally^3| shot seeing myself in this trim! How all too unworthy am I, a mere mailman of peace, ^|3a poor hastehater,^3| for such eminence, or promenade rather, to be more exact, as to be the bearer ^|3extraordinary^3| of these missive on His Majesty's service. I cannot ^|3on my merits^3| recollect ever having done anything of the kind to deserve of such.

— But have we until now ever besought you, dear Shaun, we remember who it was, to begin with, who gave you the permit?

— Everybody, Shaun replied. My heaviest cross it is. I have it from Saint Columkille's prophecies.

— Then, we explained, you possibly might be so by order?

— Forgive me, Shaun replied from his liquid lips, it was condemned
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for me in the prophecies and there is a power over me that is put upon me from on high and so as it is ^|3hereditary^3| I have nothing in view to look forward at and ^|3I am now about fed up going about and that is why I was thinking of the river as a way out because as^3| I am hopeless to do anything concerning.

— Honest Shaun, we agreed, a whisper reaches us that in the end it may well turn out to be you who will bear these public letter.

— As, Shaun replied, patly, to that I have the power. And that has a lot to do with everything.

— Would you mind telling us, Shaun honey, we proposed to such a dear youth, where mostly are you able to work?

— I, Shaun replied, mostly am able to walk. I am always telling them now how it was foretold for me ^|3by brevet^3| to be disbarred from unnecessary servile work of all sorts for otherwise I would get into a blame there. His holy will be done! But believe me ^|3in my simplicity^3| I am awful good at the bottom of me. ^|3I don't drink or anything^3| And I can now truthfully declare with my hands ^|3on upon^3| the epistles that I do my reasonable best to recite my prayers regularly, in fact, always have.

— Yet one minute's observation, dear domestic Shaun, as we observe how you have painted
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our town green.

— O, murder! Shaun replied, smiling the ^|3whole oily^3| way up his sleeve, ^|3so shy of light was he then,^3| Well, so be it and I will confess to have^|3, yes^3|. And ^|3I am afraid^3| it wouldn't be my first time ^|3like the regular fellow I am^3|. Somebody may perhaps say I ^|3am was^3| wrong. ^|3No such a thing. You never made a more frightful mistake.^3| But it is grandiose from the prophecies and they were particularly arranged by a gentleman for gentlemen. And it was with my post lamp.

— Do you mean, we gathered, whether varnish would or verdure?

— It is a confounded lie to say it, Shaun, the fiery boy, shouted, naturally incensed. And another time please confine your glaring insinuations to some other body. What on the face of this ^|3earth planet^3| would I be doing besides your varnish? That is more than I can say anyway. So let you and I now ^|3kindly^3| drop that. Understand me when I tell you that in the past parcel office so deeply deplored by my erstwhile friend, Miss Sanders, postmistress in general to the Irish Goat Society, albeit blessed with 22000 sorters out of a biggest possible 22000, too much administrative stationery was ate up by those goats. It is also one of my avowed intentions at some time, when I am not prepared to say, to ^|3compose comprose^3| quite a patent savingsbook surrounding this matter, so
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long as^|3, thank destiny^3| I am prepaid.

— ^|3But what Otherwise^3|, frank Shaun, we pursued, would be the biography of your softbodied uniform?

— None whatsoever, Shaun replied, though it would be ^|3very more or less^3| romantic. All of it, I might say, was handled over by me myself amongst the my neighbours ^|3and nephews^3| of every description, entitled the evicted tenants. What I say is and I am no greenhorn, permit me to tell you. Therefore I am as plain as possible enveloped, ^|3which inhowmuch^3| you will shortly receive, in care of one of Mooseyears Guinness's registered barrels.º