In 1913, in St. Louis, a being calling itself "Patience Worth" appeared before two women who were gathered around a Ouija board – this book is a record of that event and the communications that allegedly followed, written in 1916. The author, Casper S. Yost, does not attempt to classify or explain the phenomena beforehand; instead, he presents observational records for readers to ponder the mystery themselves.

• Original work: Casper S. Yost, Patience Worth: A Psychic Mystery (New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1916).
• Scope: The author's "Preface" and the first section, "The Coming of Patience Worth."
• Note: Descriptions of psychic phenomena, communication entities, and the personality of Patience Worth within the text convey the observations and claims of the original author. This article does not factually verify their existence or provide explanations.

Preface

The editor of this book is neither a spiritualist, nor a psychologist, nor a member of any paranormal research association. His interest in phenomena related to the spirit world has been only temporary and skeptical. He is a journalist who has had the opportunity and pleasure of presenting the facts about a phenomenon that defies categorization or explanation. This phenomenon is almost unprecedented in the records of occultism.

The mystery of Patience Worth is a puzzle that each reader should try to solve for themselves. The only purpose of this story is to present the visible truth, or rather, physical evidence, which can be verified by sight and therefore proven through observation. This includes the equipment used for communication and the communication itself. Descriptions and explanations are provided, and in some places where interpretation may be desirable, interpretations have been added.

Patience Worth's Visit

On one evening in July 1913, two women in St. Louis were sitting with a Ouija board on their laps. A short time before, a friend had piqued their interest in this mysterious toy, and since then, the two of them had spent hours watching the heart-shaped indicator trace its enigmatic path across the board. But until that day, like thousands of other people who had used the board, they had found that it was nothing more than an amusing source of wonder. The messages they struggled to spell out might have come from one of their subconscious minds, or at least, they were no stranger than many of the communications received through Ouija boards.

However, that night, the two of them received a visitor. The indicator suddenly moved with an unusual agility, as if it had been given extraordinary speed, and rapidly displayed the following introduction.

"Long ago, I lived. Now I have returned. Patience Worth is my name."

The women widened their eyes and looked at each other. Then, the speaker continued.

"Wait. I want to speak with you. If you live, then I too will live. I will bake bread by your hearth. Good friend, let us be merry together. The time for work is over. Let the cat doze off near the firewood, blinking its wise eyes."

"Well, how peculiar!" one of the women exclaimed.

"The wise mother is too strict for you," Pan said. "You should only love her as your foster mother."

Thus, a close relationship with "Patience Worth" began. This relationship continues to this day, and from it has emerged a series of communications that are almost unprecedented in terms of intellectual power and literary quality among the meager works of fiction cited in records of psychic phenomena.

From the very first visit, Patience Worth's personality – if one could call it that – made a strong impression on these two women. They took out pencils and paper, writing down not only what she communicated through the board, but also all of the questions and comments that elicited her statements. Since then, transcripts of conversations and communications have been created each time the gathering is held.

The records accumulated, and the pages typed reached a considerable volume. And based on these records, along with the author's own observations of how the phenomena worked, this story was constructed. It includes conversations, sayings, proverbs, allegories, stories, plays, poems – ranging from playful to religious – and even prayers. The majority possesses a certain beauty and qualities that could be considered unique in literature.

The women referred to here are Mrs. John H. Curran, the wife of the former Missouri State Immigration Commissioner, and Mrs. Emily Grant Hutchings, the wife of the Secretary of the Tower Grove Park Committee in St. Louis. Both were educated and refined women. Mrs. Curran was a young woman with a nervous disposition, bright and lively, and quick-witted. She enjoyed literature but had never been a writer, nor had she ever attempted to write anything more substantial than personal letters. On the other hand, Mrs. Hutchings was a skilled professional writer, and her records began because she quickly recognized the quality of her communication.

However, it soon became clear that the only medium through whom communication could be received was Mrs. Curran. The communications would only appear when she was seated at the table, and it did not matter who else was sitting with her. For the first few months, only Mrs. Curran and Mrs. Hutchings were present, but eventually, the circle expanded, and others began to assist Mrs. Curran. Sometimes, five or six people would sit with her in a single evening. Mr. Curran served as secretary and took down the communications at most of the gatherings. Occasionally, his mother, Mary E. Pollard, would take them down instead.

The Ouija board is a rectangular wooden board, approximately 16 inches wide, 24 inches long, and 0.5 inches thick. On its surface are arranged the letters of the alphabet in two concentric arcs, with ten numbers below them, and the words "yes" and "no" placed in the upper corners. The planchette, or indicator, is a thin heart-shaped piece of wood with three legs, which moves around on the board, pointing with its tip to the letters that are being spelled out. Two people are needed to operate it. They lightly place their fingertips on the indicator and wait. Sometimes it moves, sometimes it doesn't. It may simply move randomly across the board without spelling anything at all. Even when it does spell words, it may not be able to form sentences. However, often it responds immediately to the force that is moving the indicator, answering questions in a way that is perfectly understandable. Moreover, there are times when it gives answers that surprise and even frighten those present. Some attribute this power to supernatural influences, while others attribute it to the subconscious mind. However, science has dismissed it. In recent years, science has treated almost all unprecedented phenomena in this way.

The renowned British researcher of paranormal phenomena, W.T. Carrington, in his extensive work on this subject, stated the following about Ouija boards:

"For the sake of argument, let us assume that what is being moved by those who are seated at the board, whether consciously or unconsciously. Even so, a large and fundamental problem remains. What is the intelligence behind the scenes that directs these phenomena? In our current state of knowledge, anyone who attempts to give a final and definitive answer to this question has a difficult task ahead of them. Personally, I am not attempting such a thing."

The Ouija board has been used for many years. There is nothing new about the simple fact that intriguing, mysterious messages are received through the board. I want to emphasize this point because it is important to correctly place the board in relation to communications from an intelligence called Patience Worth. Apart from the spiritual issues involved – and with regard to the board, these same issues apply here as they do elsewhere – the Ouija board has no more meaning than a pen or pencil held in one's hand. It is simply a tool for conveying thoughts through words. Compared to the personality and literature that this example represents, the importance of the board is small. However, there is something I should mention: every single word attributed to Patience Worth in this volume was received by Mrs. Caland through this device.