Milford chronicle., 1935-06-07
ST. Peter Ft che Gate
By Joseph Burt SmiIer


The chOirs in the distance the echoes awoke.
And the man kept still while the woman spoke.
oo*oo
"O thou who guards the gate" said she,
I'VE 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 is nothing from heaven to bar me out;
I've been to meeting three times week.
And almost always I'd rise and speak.
oosoo
I've told the sinners about the day
When they'd repent of their evil way;
I've told my neighbors-Tve told em 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'll clearly see
The gate of heaven is open to me.
But my old man. regret to say,
Hasn't walked in exactly the narrow way;
He smokes and he swears and grave faults he's gO
And l 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 to leave him in sorrow there
While l, with the chosen, united In prayer:
He ate what the pantry CHANGED to AFFORD,
While l, in my purity sang to the Lord
"And if cucumbers we're all he got
It's chance If he meFited them or not,
But, o. st. Peter love him 50,
To the pleasures 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 I know It's 30
That the unrepentant must fry below,
But isn't there some way you can see
That he TLy enter, who's dear TO me?
ITS narrow gospel by which pray,
But the chosen expect to find some way
Of cOaxing, or foOling, or bribing you
So that their relations ambie through,
And say. st. Peter, it seems TO me
The gate isn't kept as it ought to be.
You ought to stand 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 whiskers are 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,
So open St. Peter, and we'll pass In"
St. Peter sat quiet and stroked his staf
But in spite of his Office he had to laugh,
Then said with fiery CLEAN In his eye
Who's tending this gateway, you or I?'
And then he arose in his stature tall,
And pressed button upon the wall,
And said to an imp who came all aglow,
Escort this women to the regions below"
The man stood still as a piece Of stone
Stood sadly. gloomy, 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 would certainly have TO 60;
That If she went to the regions dim
There wasn't ghost of a chance for him.
Slowly he turned. by habit bent,
To follow wherever the woman went,
st. Peter standing duty there
Observed that the top of his head vas bare
He called the gentleman back and said:
Friend how long have you been wed?"
Thirty years" with heavy sighJ,
And then he thoughtfully added "Why|
ooaoo
st. Peter was silent with head bent down,
He raised his hand and scratched bis crown,
Then, seeming>a different thought 70 take.
Slowly, half to himself, he spake.
Thirty years with that woman there?
No wonder the man hasn't any hair.
Swearing is wicked; smoking not good;
He smoked and sWore-I should think be would.
Thirty years with that tongue SO sharD7
o, Angel Gabriel, give him a harp
jeweled harp with golden string,
Good sir, pass in where the angels slng;
Gabriel, give him seat alone
One with cushion--up near the throne,
Call up some angels to play their btst;
Let him enjoy the music and rest
See that on the finest ambrosia he feeds
He's had about all the hell he needs
It isn't just hardly the thing to do
To roast him on earth and the future too"
eoeoo
They gave him harp with golden strings
glttering robe and pair Or wings,
And he said as he entered the Realme Of Day,
Well, this beats cIcumbers, anyWa9n
And so the Scriptures had come % psss--
The last shall be first and the hfst shall be last"
eeaos
N0TE-These verses were printed in
the Milford Chronicle Ii 1884 and
several have requested repgintlng at
the present tlme.--Editdr