Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1893-01-27
At The Gate.
BY Joseph RHRT SMILEY.


Before St. Peter, so great and good,
In hope the City of Peace to win
And asked St. Peter to Let them in.
The woman was tall and lank and thin,
With a scraggy beardlst upon her chin.
The mar was short and thick and stout;
His stomach was built so it rounded ont.
His face was pleasant, and all the while
He wore kindly and genial smile.
The choirs in the distance the echoes woke.
And the man kept still while the woman
spoke.
20 thou wh1 guardest the gate" said she.
awe two csme hither, beseeching thee
To let us enter the heavenly land
And play onr harps with angel band.
OF me, st. Peter, there is no doubt,
There's nothing from heaven to bar me ont.
I've been to meeting three times a week,
And almost always I'd rise and speak.
I've told the sinners about the day
When they'd repent of their evil way.
I've tol my nelghbors-Pve told 'em all
Bout Adam and Eve, and the Primal Fall
I've shown them what they'd have to do
If they'd rass in with the chosen few.
I've arked IL cir path of duty clear
Laid cut the plan for their whole career.
I've talked and talked to 'em loud aud
long,
For my lungs are good AMI my voice is
strong.
So, good st. Peter, you clearly see
The gate of heaven is open for me;
But my old man, I regret to say,
Hasn't walked in exactly the narrow;way.
lie smokes and he swears, and grave
faults he's got,
And I don't know whether he'll pass or not
He never would pray with an earnest vim,
Or 90 to revival or JOIN in hymn;
So had to leave him in sorrow there
While I, with the chosen, united in prayer.
He ate what the pantry CHANGED to aflrd
While I, in my purity, sang to the Lord;
And if cucumbers were all be got,
It's chance if he morited them or not
But, o st. Peter, love bin so,
To the pleasures of heave please let him
co.
I've done enough A saint Tye beer.
Won't that atonei Can't you let him in'
By my grim gospel know tits SO
That the unrepentant must fry below;
But ISN'T there somo way you can see
That be may enter who's dear to nc
It's a narrow gospel by which I pray,
But the chosen expect to find way
OF coaxing or foolra or bribingyou
So that their relations can amble through.
And say, st. Peter, it seems to me
This gate isn't kept as it ought to be.
Yon ought to stand right by the opening
there
And never sit down In that easy chair.
And say, St. Peter, my sight is dimmed,
But I don't Ike the way your vhiskers are
trimmed.
They're cut too wide, ard outward toss,
They'd look better narrow, cut straight
across.
Well. we must be going OCT crowno to win,
So open, ST. Peter, aud we'll pass IL"
St Peter sat quiet and s,roked his staff,
But, spite Of his office, he had to laugh,
Then he said, with fiery CLEAN in his
cye
"Who's tending this gateway-you or ~
Aud then he rose, in his stature tall,
And pressed button upon the wall
Aud said to the IMP who answered the
bell:
Escort this lady around to-Hades!'
The man stood still as a piece of Stone
stood sadly, g'oomily there alone.
A lifelong, settled idea he had
That bis wife was good and he was bad.
He thought II the woman went down
bel9w
That he would certainly have to 60;
That if she went to the regions dim
There wasn't the ghost Of a show for him.
Slowly he turned, by habit bent
To follow wherever the woman went.
st. Peter, standing on duty therO
Observed that the top of his head was
bare.
Tie called the gentleman back and said;
Friend, how long have yon been wedF
Thirty years." with a weary s,Gh)
And thea tboughtfully added, "Wh!f'
St. Peter was silent. With head bent
down
He RAJ ID his hand and scratched his
crown.
Then, seeming a different thought to take,
Slowly, half to himself, be spake
"Thirty years with that woman there'
No wonder the man hasn't any hail.
Swearing is wicked Smokes not good.
He smoked and swore-I should think be
would!
Thirty years with that tongue so sharpf
Hol Angle Gabriel Give him harI!
A jewolled harp with golden string
Good sir, pass ia where the angels sing!
Gabriel. give him a seat alone
One with a cushion-up near tho throne!
Call up some angels to play their best;
Let him oijoy the music and res,l
See that on finest ambrosa he feeds,
He's had about all the Hades he needs.
Il isn't just hardly the thing to do
To roast him on earth and the future too"
They gave him harp with golden strings,
A glitterng robe and pair Of wings,
And he said, as he enter'd the Realm of
Day,
"Well, this beats cucumbcrs, anyway"
Aud so the Scriptures had come to pass
That "The last shall be first and the first
shall be last"