The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1903-01-22
ST. PETER AT THE GATE.
{ Especially Y dedicated to hen-pecked hrls-
bandS)

| bands.)
St. Peter stood at the golden gate
With solemn mien and an air sedate
When up to the top of the golden stair
A man and woman ascended 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 shaggy beardlet on her chin.
The man was thick and short and stout ::
His stomach was built so It rounded out.
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 wom-
an spoke:
% thou who guardcst the gate" said
she,
We two come hither beseeching thee
To let us enter the heavenly land,
And play CTR harps with the angel band
OF. nc St. Peter, there is no doubt.
There is nothing in heaven to bar me
I've been to the meetings three times a
i>nd almost always Id rise and speak.
I've told the sinners about the dav -
When they'll repent of their evil way.
I've told my ghbors-told them all
Bout Adam and Eve and the primal
fall
I've showed them what they'd have TO
If they'd pass in with the chosen few,
Eve marked their path of duty clear
Laid out the plan of their whole career.
Il We talked and talked to EN- loud and
long
For my lungs are good and my voice is
strong;
So. good st. Peter. you'll clearly see
L he gate of heaven is open to me,
But my old man. I regret to say,
Hasn't walked in exactly the narrow
way;
lie smokes and he sWears, and crave
faults he's got,
Ar.d | don't know whether he'll pass
or not.
He never would pray with an earnest
Or go to revival or join in a hymn,
So had to leave him in sorrow there.
While | with the chosen united i'll
prayer;
He ate what the pantry ehanced to af-
ford,
While | in nv purity sang to the Lord &
And if eucuunbers were all he got
It's chance if he merited them or not.
But oh, ST. Peter love him sol
TO the pleasure of heaven please let
him go.
I've done enough saint I've been.
Won't that atone Can't you let him in
BY my grim gospel, | know It's SO
That the .unrepentent must fry below
But isn't there some way you can see
That he may enter who's dear to me
Its narrow gospel by which / gray,
But the chosen expect to find some way
Of coaxing. or fooling. or bribing you.
So that their relations can amble
through.
Ani say. St. Peter, it seems to me
This gate isn't kept as it ought to be.
You ought to stand bv the opening there
And not sit down IN the easy chair.
And say St. Peter, my eyes are di1mned
But | don't like the way your Wluskers
are trimmed
They're cut too wide and outward toss
They'd look better narrow. cut straight
across.
Vel. we must be going, our crowns to
win.
So open, ST. Peter, and we'll nass in
st. Peter sat and stroked his staff,
But in spite Of his office he had TO lauoli
Then said with a fiery gleana in his eve.
Who's tending the gateway, YOU or
And then he arose, IN his stature tall.
And pressed button upon the wall.
And sald to the imp who answered the
bell:
Escort this lady around to hell Z
The man stood still as piece Of stone
Stood sadly, g1oonily there alone
lifelong. settled idea he had
That his wife was good and he was bad,
He thought if. the woman went down
below
That he ou1d certainly have to go-
That if she went to the region dim
There wasn't a ghost OF chance for
him.
Slowly he turned by habit bent,
70 follow wherever the woman went,
ST: Peter, standing OH 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 Z.
Thirty years with a weary sigh
And then he thought fully added Why p