Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1895-10-11
Washingtuu Staudara
ST. PETER AT THE GATE.
JOSEPH BEET SMILEY.

JOSEPH BEET SMILEY.
=. Peter stood guard at the golden gate.
With a solemn mien and an air sedate,
When up Ia the top of the golden stair
A man and woman ascending there.
Applied for admission. They came and stood
Before -. Peter, so great and good,
In hopes the City of Peace TO win
And asked -. Peter TO let them III.
The woman was tall. and lank, aud thin,
With II scraggy beardlet upon her chin.
The man was short, aud thick and stout.
His stomach was built SO 1t rounded out
His face was pleasant, and all the while
He wore a kindly and genial smile,
The choirs in the distance the echoes woke,
And the man kept still while the woman
spoke:
20 thou who guardest the gate said she,
We too come hither beseeching thee
To let us enter the heavenly land.
And play our harps with the angel band.
OF me. 1t. Peter. there is no doubt
There's nothing from heaven to bar me out.
I've been TO meeting three times a week,
And almost always I'd rise to speak.
We ttiu the 6iuDDIH about the QAV
When they'd repent of their evil way.
I've told my neighbors-I've told them all
Bout Adam and Eve and the primal fall
I've shown them what they'd have to do
If 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,
So. good St. Peter, you will clearly see
The gate of heaven is open for me.
But my old man. l regret to say,
Hasn't walked in exactly the narrow way;
He smokes and he swears, and grave faults
he's got
And don't know whether he'll pass or not.
" He never would pray with an earnest vim,
Or go 10 revival. or join in a 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 l. in my purity, sang the Lord,
And II cucumbers were all he got
It's chance If he merited them or not.
" But, o, st. Peter, love him SO.
To the pleasures of heaven please let him 60
I've done enough-a saint I've been,
Won't that atone? Can't you let him in?
By my grim gotpel know tits SO
That the unrepentant must fry below;
But isn't there some way you can see
That he may enter who's dear to me:
It's narrow gospel by which 1 pray,
But the chosen expect to find some way
OF cOaxing, or fOOling, or bribing you
So that their relations can amble through.
And say, st. Peter, 1t seems to me
This gate isn't kept as it ought to be;
You ought 10 stand right by the opening
there,
And never cit down in that easy chair.
And say. St. Peter, my sight is dimmed,
But / don't like the way your whiske-s ar,
trimmed;
They're cut too wide and outward toss,
They'd look better narrow, cut straight across
Well. we must be going our crown to win,
SOopen, st. Peter, and well pass in!"
st. Peter sat qniet and stroked 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 -"
And then he arose in his stature tall,
And pressed button upon the wall,
And said to the imp who answered the bell,
|" Escort this lady around to hell"
The 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.
He thought If the woman went down below.
That he would certainly have to go
That II she went to the regions dim,
There wasn't q ghost Of show for him.
Slowly he turned, by habit bent,
To follow wherever the woman went.
st. Peter, standing in 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?"
st. Peter was silent With head bent down,
He raised his hand and scratched bis crown,
Then, seeming different thought to take,
Slowly, half 10 himself, he spake:
p" Thirty years with that woman there.
No wonder the man hasn't any hair!
Swearing 10 wicked, smokes not good,
He smoked and swore-I should think hi
would
Thirty years with that tongue 30 sharpi
Ho! Angel Gabriell Give him harp!
A jsweled harp with golden string!
Good sir, pass In where the angels sing!
Gabriel, give him q seat alone
One with q cushion-up near the throner
Call up some angels to play their best,
Let him enjoy the music aud rest!
See that on finest ambrosia lie feeds,
He's had about all the hell he needs.
II isn't just hardly the thing to do,
To roast him on earth. and the future to0.'
They gave him harp with golden strings,
glittering robe and . pair of wings.
And he said, a. he entered the Realm Of Day
well, this beats cucumbers, any way"
And so the scripture had come to pass
That the last shall be first. and the first shall
tie last"