Sketches New and Old

<h2> <SPAN name="poems" id="poems"></SPAN>A COUPLE OF POEMS BY TWAIN AND MOORE </h2> <p><br/></p> <h3> [written about 1865] </h3> <p><br/></p> <h3> THOSE EVENING BELLS </h3> <p><br/></p> <p>BY THOMAS MOORE</p> <blockquote> <p>Those evening bells! those evening bells!<br/> How many a tale their music tells<br/> Of youth, and home, and that sweet time<br/> When last I heard their soothing chime.<br/> <br/> Those joyous hours are passed away;<br/> And many a heart that then was gay,<br/> Within the tomb now darkly dwells,<br/> And hears no more those evening bells.<br/> <br/> And so 'twill be when I am gone<br/> That tuneful peal will still ring on;<br/> While other bards shall walk these dells,<br/> And sing your praise, sweet evening bells.<br/></p> </blockquote> <p><br/></p> <h3> THOSE ANNUAL BILLS </h3> <p><br/></p> <p>BY MARK TWAIN</p> <blockquote> <p>These annual bills! these annual bills!<br/> How many a song their discord trills<br/> Of "truck" consumed, enjoyed, forgot,<br/> Since I was skinned by last year's lot!<br/> <br/> Those joyous beans are passed away;<br/> Those onions blithe, O where are they?<br/> Once loved, lost, mourned&mdash;now vexing ILLS<br/> Your shades troop back in annual bills!<br/> <br/> And so 'twill be when I'm aground<br/> These yearly duns will still go round,<br/> While other bards, with frantic quills,<br/> Shall damn and damn these annual bills!<br/></p> </blockquote> <p><br/></p> <div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />