Project #-1655
Cassels R. Tiedeman
Charleston, S. C.
Approx. 250 words

(Verbatim Conversation)

Ophelia says that when she went to Heaven in the spirit God made it known to her that she was intended to preach the word to her fellowman.

"I was made to be a preacher. God told me to go an' preach de word. Dat was when I was in Hebben, God tell me so. He send a angel to brung me back to dis world. Oh! I sorry I come back, but me time aint ripe yet.

"I tell people to live right an' nebber let dey tongue slip on de lie. Deir daily life is a open book to ebery eye. Dey caint hide dey wust side no way. God forgib ninety-nine time a day. We was made to fall, we mus' fall, dat de way. Dis a rising an' falling world but de las' day, de day of jedgment is Risurrection Day. Dat when Gabriel blow de trumpet, an' de people got to ris' up out ob de grabe, den is de end of salvation. No mo' calling. When de trumpet blow all mus' come up from hell too, an' hab sentence pass on dem right dere in de sight an' hearing ob ebery body. You caint pray in hell you must do yo' praying befo' you git dere.

"Ebery body go to be happy den but dose dat be damned, dey go back to hell for ebber. Dis here world gwine be no mo' den, jes' Hebben all obber an' angel singing Hallelulah, Hallelulah."

Source: Ophelia Jemison, Addison Ct, Charleston, S. C.

Text from: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, WPA Federal Writers' Project Collection