ut my older infidel friends, I
found, regarded them as intended to deceive the unwary. Many of them
were grossly immoral, and hated the Bible for its hostility to their
evil ways.

After each lecture discussion followed. But the ability of my opponents
was not equal to their zeal. They were often ignorant of both sides of
the question, and injured the cause they sought to aid.

These lectures led to a public discussion between me and Dr. McCalla, a
Presbyterian clergyman. It was to continue five nights, but ended on the
fourth. We met first in the Chinese Assembly Room; but the place proving
too small for the crowds which were anxious to hear the debate, we
adjourned to the large hall.

Dr. McCalla was very abusive. He was so intent on calling me bad names,
and on saying savage and provoking things, that he forgot his argument.
I kept to the subject. I neither abused my opponent, nor spent my time
in answering his abuse of me. I reproved him once or twice, telling him
how unseemly it was in an old man, professing to be a disciple and a
minister of Jesus, to show such a spiteful disposition, and to utter
such offensive words; and then went on with my argument. The third night
my opponent seemed to be losing his reason. On the fourth night he was
literally mad. Loss of sleep, rage, and mortification, seemed to have
brought on fever of the brain, and he was really insane. His friends
were terribly put about. Many of them were furious, and were plainly
bent on violence. A policeman climbed up the back of the platform behind
where I was sitting and said in my ear: 'There's mischief brewing: you
had better come with me. Step down now while they are looking the other
way.' I looked for my overcoat and hat, but they were gone. Some one had
carried them off, to prevent me from escaping. A gentleman who had seen
a person take them away, and place them in a distant corner of the room,
seeing what was coming, went and brought them to me, and I at once
slipped over the back of the platform to the floor, and accompanied the
policeman. The crowd, intent on getting towards the front of the
platform, had left a vacant space near the wall, and I and the policeman
got nearly to the door of the hall before we were observed. But just as
we were passing out a cry arose, 'He's off! He's off!' and a maddened
crowd prepared for pursuit. When we got into the street the policeman
said hurriedly, 'Which is the way to your lodgings?' 'That,' said