Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-03-05
He Deserved 1t. .
To the Editor of the Dispatch:

column of next Sunday the words of st
Peter at the Golden Gate? BY so doing
you will greatly oblige Is. i. j.
A friend has sent US the poem, which
Is as follows:
ST. PETER AT THE GATE.
ST. Peter stood guard at the Golden Gate
| With a solemn men and an air sedate
| When up TO the top Of the golden. stair
A man and a woman ascending there
Applied for admission. They came and
stood
Before 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 a scraggy beardlet upon her chin;
| The man was short. and thick, and stout,
| His stomach was built so it 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,
eve two come hither beseeching thee
To let us enter the heavenly land,
And play our harps with the angel band
OF me. St 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 10 speak.
'I've told the sinners about the day.
When they'd repent Of their evil way;
I've told my neighbors-Ive told them
all
Bout Adam and Eve 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.
1--WE 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 to revival, or join in a hymn;
So / had 10 leave him in sorrow there.
While l. with the chosen, united in
prayer
He ate what the pantry CHANGED 10 ahord'
While /. in my purity, sang to the Lord;
And il cucumbers were all he got
It's a chance if he merited them or not.
but. o. ST. Peter, love him so.
To the pleasures 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 l know us So
That The unrepentant must fry below;
But isn't there some way you can see
That he may enter who's dear to meE
ITS a narrow Gospel by which pray
But the chosen expect to find some way
OF coaXing, or foolng, or bribing you'
So that their relations can amble through.
And say. ST. Peter it seems TO me
This gate isn't kept as ii ought to be;
You 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 / don't like the way your whlskeI-
are trimmed;
They're cut too wide and outward toss,
They'd look better narrow, cut straight
across.
We'll. we must be going, our crown to
win,
So omen. ST. Peter, and Wen pass inn
st. Peter sat quiet. and stroked his staff,
Rut. spite OF his office, he had to laugh;
Then said with a fiery CLEAN in his eye;
'.yVho's tending this gateway-you or II
And then he rose in his stature tall,
And pressed a button upon the wall
And said 70 the imp who answered the
bell,
escort this lady around to hell"
The man stood still as a piece Of stone
Stood sadly, gloomily there alone;
4 lifelong. settled idea he had,
That his wife was good and he was pad
Tie thought If the woman went down De-
low,
That he certainly would have to so;
That II she went to the regions am
There wasn't a 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 MS heau was
bare.
He called the gentleman back and said;
Friend how long have you been wed!'
"'Thirtv wears" with a weary sign
And then he thoughtfully added. why"
st. Peter was silent. with head peh'
down. -
He raised his hand and scratched his
crown;
Then seeming a different thought 10 take,
SLOWLY. half to himself. he spake:
"Thirtv wears with that woman there!
No wonder the man hasn't any mar!
Swearing IS wicked smokes not gcod;
He smoked and swore-I should tnlhK ne
would
Thirty years with that tongue so shaEp'
Uo, Angel Gabriel, Give him harp
A. iewelled harp, with a golden stiNDS
Good sir. pass in, where the ahseis siAe'
Gabriel. give him a seat alone
Ona With n cushion-up near the throne!
Can no some angels TO play their best,
Let him enjoy the music and restl
See that on finest ambrosa he reeds
Hes had about all the hell he needs;
II isn't lust hardly tho thing 10 DO
10 roast him on earth, and the future,
too.
They gave him harp with golden
strings.
A enttering robe and a pair OF wings,
Ana he said. as he entered the Realm OF
Day
"Well. this beats cucumbers, anyway
And SO the Scripture had come 10 pass.
That 1.-The last shall be nrst and the nfst
Joseph BERT SMILEY.
MY MOTHER SUFFERED WITH
chronic -diarrhoea for several months sac
was attended by two physicians, who at