Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1903-06-27
AT ST. PETERS GATE
JOSEPH BERT sMILEy's MOST
FAMOUS POEM.
How the Saint and the Sinner Went
Hand in Hand to the Portals of the
City of Peace, and the Welcome
Accorded Them.


Joseph Bert Smiley, author of 'St-
found dying in the woods near Ken
dallville, Ind, with bullet hole in his
temple.
His poem brought him a national
reputation 1t is given below:
ST. Peter stood guard at the golden gate
With a solemn mien and air sedate,
When up to the top of the golden stair
A and woman, ascending there,
APPLIED for admission. They came and
stood
Before St Peter. SO great and good.
In hope the City Of Peace to win,
The woman was tall and lank and thin.
The man was short and Tick and Stout
His stomach was built SO it rounded out.
He wore kindly and genial smile.
The choirs in the distance the echoes
And the man kept still while the woman
spoke
''Oh, thou who guardest the gate said
I'VE come hither, beseeching thee
To let enter the heavenly land,
81 m eias 81 Peter there @eh is NO DOUBT
There's nothing from heaven to bar me
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
ao1 fheyd reIRbab 81 fneer te K em an
Bout Adam and Eve. and the Primal
I've shown them what they'd have to do
sheyd Pass fb IN wsh the tn fS few
| Laid out the plan for their whole career.
| For my lungs are good and my voice is
So. good St, Peter, your clearly see
EIIf m nj i
| Hasn't walked in exactly the narrow
He smokes and he swears. and grave
| And 1 don't know whether he'll pass or
He never would pray with earnest
| Or go to revival, or join in a hymn.
| While I, with the chosen, united In
He ate what the pantry CHANGED to af-
nd n mS Pgry a he Iet Lord
| It's chance if he merited them or not
| But oh, ST. Peter. love him SO
To the pleasures of heaven please let
I've done enoughaoac saint I've = been s;,;, - ,
That the unrepentant must fry below.
But isn't there some way you can see
It's a. narrow gospel which I pray,
But the chosen expect to find some way
| of coaxing or footing or bribing you.
So that thsir relation can am3 3d through
| That gate isn't kept it ought to be.
| You ought to stand right by the opening
| And never sit down in that easy chair.
| And say ST. Peter. my sight is dimmed.
But 1 don't like the way your whiskers
They're cut too wide. and outward toss;
They'd look better narrow, cut straight
Well We must be going crowns to
So open, St Peter, and We'll pass in
St Peter sat quiet and stroked his staff.
this ga Sis y y9stS or tan
| And pressed button upon the wall
And said to the imp who answered the.
Escort this female around to hell.'
stood sadly gloomily. there, alone,
| A lifelong. settled idea he had
| He thought if the woman went down be-
That he would certainly have to go
| That if she went to the regions dim
| There wasn't the ghost of a show for
| Slowly he turned by habit bent,
| ST. Peter, standing on duty there,
| Observed that the top of his head was
He called the gentleman back and said:
Thirty years. with weary sigh
And then he thoughtfully added, ..why?'
St. Peter was silent. With head bent
He raised his hand and scratched his
/ crown.
( Slowly, half to himself, he spake.
| Thirty years with that woman there?
| No wonder the man hasn't got any hair!
/ Swearing is wicked Smokes not good.
/ He smoked and swore-I should think he
would!
i TFoI Angel Gabriel, GIVE HIM A HARP
i A jeweled harp with golden string!
Good sir, pass in where the angels sing.
1 Gabriel give him seat alone
l One with the cushion-up near the throneg
Call up some angels to play their best,
Let him enjoy the music and rest
See that on finest ambrosia he feeds,
He's had about all the hell he needs,
/ 1t isn't just hardly the thing to do
10 roast him earth and the future,
too"
| They gave him harp with golden
glittering robe and pair of wings.
| And he said as he entered the Realms of
well, this beats cucumbers, anyway
| And the Scriptures had come to pass,
be last"
| vineIand FamiIy's Many Misfortdnes.
| The extraordinary ilIfortune that
| has followed William Cromwell and
his family of vineland, N. J., for the
| past several months has aroused the
| sympathy of the entire community.
l Monday the climax was apparently
reached when Mrs Cromwell fell
| down stairs and injured her spine SO