The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-03-01
Peter at the Gil

49, ~ kAI8. IElFaEME#A&&XW
with : solemn misn ana IN III
when up 70 the bop * the eeI1s
A man and Q woman a~scendiuf
Applied for admiration Thsy
Before ST. Peter. 20 great and 6oe1
And asked St. Peter 70 let thsn a.
The woman was tall. and I4Ak
With a scraggy beard upon Nor nhtnEA
The man was short. and thick.
His tomach was built 50 ii roan<s
His face was pleasant. and Al
He wore q kindly ana genial smffSI
The choirs in the distance the echeS3
aweke; zSM#
And the man kept still while tbs ws
man spoke.
20 thou who guardeth the gateis 49,
she. %
I'VE two come hither besseching the
And play our harps with the Ano&9s
band. a
OF me, st. Peter. there is no doubt
There's nothing from heaven to naTz5
I've been to meeting three times NH
-
And almost always I'd rise to speak.
i've told the sinners about the dAy
When they'd repent of their evil WaVsS&
I've told my neighbors-I.ve told theaSMs
ALL s%a
Bout Adam and Eve and their primal
I've shown them what they'd have a.
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 cA~&a
reer. %#
1--WE TALKED and fo1tr 81 80 sa,r fns.4 @aAR
For my lungs are good and my voice
is strong,
tThe-Gate-of-Hcavcn rs open TO r1U.--
But my old man. l regret IT, say.
Hasn't walked in exactly the narrow
way III
He smokes and he swears, and grave
faults he got; 4
And / don't know whether heu pass or
not.
He never would pray with an earnest
vim.
or go to revival or join in a hymns.
80 had to leave him in sorrow there VA
While | with the chosen united I'M
prayer.
He ate what the pantry CHANGED to af-
ford
While | In my purity sang to the Lord5S
And II ~eucumbers were all he got,
It's a chance IL he merited them Or
not.
But. o. st. Peter! I love him so.
TO the pleasure OF heaven please Let
him go.
Mont atone? -eant you let MIN !
in?
By my grim gospel I know It's SO
That the u~nrepentant must try below
That he may enter who's dear TO mo-
TITS a narrow gospel by which I pray.
But the chosen expect -teAaa scrae-
OF coaxing. or fooling. or bribing you.
So that @their@Helations keanwAhzh5e#
through
And. say. st. Peter. III seems to me
This gate isn't kept as 1t ought 70 D.
You ought to stand right by the open-s
ing there,
And never sit down In that easy chair
rst-peteFrmyhsish
dimmed.
But / don't like the way your whtskerS
are trimmed:
They're cut too wide. and outward
toss.
They'd look better narrow. cut straixhtz
Well. W. must be going orr cfswn tp
So. open. st. Peter. and wen pass hi.
St. Peter sat quiet ana stroked NJ
BUT in spite Of hts ONCE he had ~
laugh;
Then said. with a aery CLEAN IN M
Who's tending this gateway-you o.
And then he rose in his statue taii
And pressed 2 button upon the wall
And said to the 4nnp who answered fHa
Escort this lady around to Hen.
The man stood stin as a piece q
stood sadly. gloomtly, there alone.
A lifelong settled idea he had,
That his wife was good n he w.
He thought II the woman went down
below.
That certainly he would have to CO.
That II she went to the regions a..
There wasn't q ghost OF a chance Tor
him.
Slowly he turned. by habit bent.
To follow wherever the woman vents
st. Peter. standing on duty there,
Observed that the top of his head ~
bare.
He called the gentleman back ana
Friend. row long have you been
Thirty years" with a weary sigh.
And then he thoughtfuily added
St Peter was silent. With head bent
He raised his head and scratched his
crown,
Thine. seeming a different thought u
take.
Slowly. half to himself. he spake:-
Thirty years with that woman there3
No wonder the man hasn't amy hAtri
Swearing is wicked. smokes not gQods
He smoked and he swore-I should
l he would.
Thirty years with that tongue ~
sharp
Ho. Angel Gabriel, give him = harp!
A jeweled harp. with q golden strtngt#
Good sir. pass in where he angels
singt
Gabriel. give him a seat Alone
One with . cushion-up near theS
Call up some angels 70 play their besk$
Let him enjoy the music and reBti
See that on finest ambrosia he feedesSSS
He's had about all the hell he neoda+
1t isn't just hardly the thing 10 dos
To roast him on earth and In futura
too
They gave him . harp with GoidsK
strings.
A glitterinE robe and q pair OF wtnKsxH
And he said as he entered the RAAlfu@@
OF Day: Ss
well. this beats cucunbers. anyvsyf