New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1893-05-03
St. Peter At the Gate

St. Peter At the Gate
St. Peter stood guard at the golden rate,
v VII: tn q solemn mien and an air setl;,te,
w hen up to the top Of the golden stair
= man and a woman ascending there,
Applied for admission. They came anu,
stood
Before St. Peter, so great and good,
In hopes the City of Peace to win.
And asked St Peter to let them in.
Inc woman was tall, and lank. and thin.
With scraggy beardlet upon her chin.
The man was short, and thick, and stout.
His stomach was built so it rounded out
Ills face was pleasant and all the while
he wore kindly and genial smile.
The choirsin the distance the echoes woke.
And the man kept still while the woman
spoke.
son, thou, who guards the gate" said she,
"We two come hither besceechine thee
10 let us enter the heavenly land
And play our harps with the angel band.
OF me, st. Peter, there is no doubt
There's nothingfrom heaven to bar nc out.
I've been to meetings three times week
And almost always I'd rise and speak.
I've told the sinners about the day
When they'd repent Of their evil wav;
I've told my neighbors told 'em all
Bout Adam andEve, and The Primal Fall.
I've shown them what they'd have to do
II they'd pass in with the chosen few: .
I've marked their path of duty clear -
Laid out the plan for their whole career.
I've talked and talked to 'em loud and
long,
For my lungs are good, and my voice is
strong. 49,
&c. good St. Peter, you'll clearly see
The gate of heaven is open for me;
But my old man, regret to say,
Hasn't walked in exactly the narrow way.
tic smokes and he swears, and grave
faults he's got
And don't know whether he'll pass or
tie never would pray with an earnest vim,
Orgo to revival, or join in a hymn,
So had to leave him in sorrow there
While, with the chosen, united in PRAYER,
lleate what the pantry Glanced to afford,
While |, in my purity, sang to the Lord,
And If cucumbers were all he got,
It's chance If he merited them or not,
But y. St. Peter, love him so,
10 the pleasures of heaven please let
him go!
I've done enough, saint I've been.
Wont that atone! Can't you let him in2
by my grim gospel I know it's so
That the unrepentant must fry below.
But isn't there some way you can see
'o liz may eHlei WHO'S dear to me y
LIS narrow gospel by which l pray,
| But the chosen expect to find some way
VI coaxlng, fooling, or bribing you,
30 That their relations can amble through
And say, St. Peter, it seems to me
lhls gate isn't kept as it ought to be.
You ought stand right by the OPENING
there,
And never sit down in that easy chair
And say st. Peter, my sight is dimmcd
But don't like the way your vbiskers
is trimmed.
they're cut too wide, and outward toss,
1hey'd look better narrow, cut STRAIGHT
Well,we must be going our crowns to win
80 open st. Fe er, and Well pass in"
X X
st. Peter sat quiet and stroked his staff
But spite of his office, he had to laugh,
Then said with fiery CLEAN in his eve:
""hos tending this gateway-you or 1?''
And then he arose in his stature tall.
And pressed button upon the wall.
And said to the imp that answered the bell
'Escort this lady around to hellr'
X X
Inc man stood still as piece of stone
Stood sadly, gloomily there alone,
"A lifelong settled idea he had
That his wife was good and he was bad
tic thought If the women went down be-
That he would certainly have to 90.
That If she went to the regions dim,
There wasn't a ghost of a chance for him
Slowly he turned, by habit bent,
To follow wherever the woman went,
St. Peter, standing on duty there.