Mary Ellins, a nine or ten year old girl, goes to "the fields," in April, 1652 with some other children "to gather cowslips." However, along the way, they encounter "one Catherine Huxley, a single Woman," around forty years of age. The "Children called her Witch," and took to throwing stones at her. Mary Ellins partook in calling Catherine Huxley a witch, but was "so affrighted," she could not throw stones at her.(44)

The young girl, Mary Ellins, falls ill, after having been "hindmost" of a group of children running from the alleged witch Catherine Huxley, having called her a "Witch" and thrown stones at her. Huxley allegedly says to Mary, "Ellins, you shall have stones enough in your ..." Mary Ellins is "so weak and Languishing that her Friends feared she would not. recover." This initial stage of the illness lasts one month.(44)