Woman's chronicle. (Little Rock, Ark.) 1888-1???, 1890-01-25
IDA JOE BROOKS
A Laugh in Heaven.
From the Woman's Journal.


Gentiles 1t started at one of the jewelled gates,
and it ran along the heavenly courts and was
echoed from one bright being to another, till it
reached the ear of st. Paul himself. The good
saint was in one Of his most thoughtful moods; he
was giving the impulse to new wave of infu-
ence which he was just starting on its earthward
mission, when his ear caught the music of that
laugh. The self-sacrifcng Apostle-who has
learned, in the many years since he was taken out
of the exhaustng labors of earth, and lifted into
that peaceful atmosphere where there is no worry
or hurry from brevity of time, but where there is
always the assurance of results commensurate with
every welldirected effort, that he can always spare
the time to interest himself in whatever interests
those who approach him-asked, ''What is u"
"Such joke on you, Brother Paul." answered
Hebrew Doctor of Laws, who was just then
looking through an unusually long drawn-out tel
escope of memory which he always kept ready
for instant use whenever he wished to trace back
to its symbolic earth root some new spiritual idea
that he had found
"On mel" asked the Apostle whose face, as he
paused for moment to lstel, showed that his
soul was still filled with transcendent energy of
zeal for his dear Lords work.
"Oh, the old, foolish story! You've been hear
ing it frequently enough to know it by this time
without my telling, and I'm sincerely afraid you
haven't come to the end of it yet my dear brother"
A patient smile dawned upon st. Paul's face as
he inquired, 'And who tells it now?"
"a poor, ignorant man who asked admittance
for two at the gate yonder," answered the Hebrew
Doctor.
'!For two?"
eyes, for himself and wife,"
"That's good. Very few ask for any one but
themselves. What did the Guardian of the Gate
say?"
ooh, his reply was, Each one must speak for
himself in this realm Then the man begged, If
only you might be pleased to promise that she shall
come in next after me, kind angel. She has been
good woman all her days. taken care of heI fam
lily, served the church, loved the poor. Indeed,
sometimes think she deserves heaven more than
her husband does"
"All true, it may be, down there" replied the
angel, 'but the law here is the same for both.
The woman must speak for herself"
''Speak for herself" exclaimed the husband.
"Why, dear angel, she never did that in all her
life; she'll find it hard to begin now before all
these witnesses that see looking down upon us.
She was good woman, tell you. Pm her bus
band, and I'll vouch for her. She minded the
Gospel teaching, she knew her place and never
brought any shame on herself or on me by raising
her voice among the brethren; she has always
asked her husband when she wished to know any
thing just as that most blessed saint in the Caen-
dar taught that she should do / always helped
her to take good heed of his words being as it
was the most peaceful way for both of us; SO,
good angel, she cannot we'll speak for herself.
The man is the head of the woman you know.
And wise arrangement it is, Pm very sure"
Then the angel walked out from the Gate of
Pearl and looked around till he saw in the shadow
of the man a meek woman with hands crossed
upon her breast and head dropping with its sense
of inferiority.
els this your wife, this woman behind your"
asked the angel.
''Yes, dear angel answered the man. "That