Document text
Project #-1655
Cassels R. Tiedeman
Charleston, S. C.
390362
SCRAPS OF VERBATIM CONURBATION
Approx. 112 words
FOLKLORE
"Ophelia do spirits ever follow you?" "Jes good sperrits came
round me."
"Why just good ones?"
"Cause I prays, I sings, I mourns ant I weeps ant I doan stag-
nate de Lord when I prays. He know what you observe (deserve)
befol you ax for it. No way how you coax em you aint go git it.
He done hab it all set down in de beginning ob tlings.'• Some
pussons calls dat fate. It dere in de embrine (embryo) jes lak
de egg befol de chicken come. tE all yellow fluff fust, but aint
le go be black, white or any color lak He 'tended to ben)? long.
De Lord know you thru and thru ani dese sperrits mus, know too.
Dey done pass deat (death) ant see wid de soul eye."
In describing her innermost feelings Ophelia said:
"We got two inwards one good, one evil, one say go, one say
come. You got to follow one dat is all dere is to it, so mek up
you mind to fetch up wid de Lord, den Hebben is you gold."
(goal)
Ophelia was repremanded for a disdemeanor and being sensible
enough to realize that she could not deny the accusation, said:
"I stop.me wagon right dere, de horse done turn round an' go."
Source: Ophelia Jemison, Addison County, Charleston, S. C.