The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1893-06-30
ST. PETER AT THE GATE.
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o. l. Il In u LIE VA Es
From the Rocky Mountain Herald
st. Pete" stood guard ri the golden gate
With IA solemn mien and an air sedate,
When up Ia t. top OF the golden stair
A man and woman ascenCed there,
Applied for admission. They came and stood
Pelore st. Peter SO great and good
In hopes the City of Peace to win
And asked st, Peter to let them in.
The woman was tall, and lank, and thin,
With n Scraggy beardlet on her chm.
The man was short, and thick, and stout,
His stomach was built so il rounded out;
His face was pleasant, and all the while
He wore a kindly and genial smile.
The chOiTs in the distance the echoes woke,
The man kept still while the woman spoke
80 thou who guardeSt the gate" said she,
'We two come hither, brSpechiNg thee
To let us enter the heavenly land,
And play our baTps with the angel band.
OF ME st, Peter, there Is no daubt.
There's nothing In heaven to bar me out.
I've been to meetings three times week.
And almost always I'd rise and speak.
ave told the sinners about the day
When they'd repent OF their evil way,
I've told my neighbOrs-IYe told 'em all
Bout Adam and. Eve, and the Primal Fall;
I've shown them what they'd have 20 do
II they'u pass, in with the chosen few.
Laid out the plan for their whole career.
owe talked and talked to em loud and long,
For my lungs are good and my voice is strong;
So good ~. Peter you'll clearly see
The gate of heaven is open to me,
But my old man, | regret 10 say,
Hasn't walked exactly in the narrow way;
He smokes and he swears, and grave faults
he's got.
And l don't know whether he'll pass or not.
"He never would pray with an earnest vim,
Or go to revival or join in hymn,
SO had to leave him in sorrow there,
While ], with the chosen. united In prayer.
He ate what the pantry CHANGED to afford,
While !, in my purity, sang to the Lord;
And If cucumberS were all he got
It's a chance IL he merited them or not.
but oh, st. Peter, love him so!
To the pleasure OF heaven please let him go.
I've done enOugh-a saint I've been.
Won't that atone? Can't you let him In?
By my grim gospel know tits so
That the unTepentant must fry below,
But isn't there some way you can see
That he may enter who's dear to me?
TITS anarrow gospel by which pray
But the chosen expect to find some way
OF coaxug, or foo ny, or bribng you
SO Jhar their relations can amble through;
And say, 1T, Peter, it seems 10 me
This gate isn't kept rs it ought to be.
You ought to stand by that opening there
And never sit down in the easy chair.
"And say. st. Peter, my sight is dimmed
But I don't like the way your whiskers are
trimmed:
They're eat to- wide and outward toss
They'd look better narrow, cut straight
across.
Well, W. must be going oar crowns to win,
SO opsn At. Peter, and Wen pass in''
St. Peter sat and strolyed his STAFF
But spite of his office, he had to laugh,
Then said, with fiery CLEAN In his eye.
who's tending this gateway you or II"
And then he arose In his stature tall,
And pressed the button upon the wall,
And said 70 the imp who answered the bell,
Escort that lady around to help
The man stood still as piece OF some
Stood sadly, glOOmily there alone,
4 lifelong, settled idea he had
That his wife was good and he was bad.
He thought II the woman went down below,
That he would certainly have to go
That If she went to the regions dim
There wasn't ghost of a chance for him.
Slowly he turned, by habit bent
Tufollow wherever the woman went.
81, Peter, standing on duty there,
Observed that the top of his head was bare,
He called the gentleman back, and said:
Friend, how long have you been wed?"
Thirty years." with weary sigh
And then he thoughtfully added, "Why?"
81. Peter was silent. With head bent down
lie raised his hand and scratched his crown
Then, seeming different thought to take,
Slowly, half to himself, he spske,
Thirty years with that woman there?
No wonder the man hasn't any hair!
Swearing is wicked, Smokes not good,
He smoke and swOre-I should think he
would.
Thirty years with that tongue so sharp?
Ho. Angel Gabriel! Give him harp!
\ jewoled harp with golden string!
Good sir, pass In where the angels sing!
Gabriel, give him 4 seat alone
One with cushion--up near the throne.
Call up some angels to play their best,
Let him enjoy the music and rest,
"See that on the finest Ambrosia he feeds,
He's had about all the hell he needs.
II isn't just hardly the thing 10 do
To roast him on earth and the future too"
They gave him a harp with golden strings
A glitterng robe and a pair OF wings,
And he said as he entered the Realm OF Day
well, this beats cucumbers, anyway
md so the Scriptures had come To pass;
The last shall be first and the first shall b.
last