I sat up until midnight with the editor of the _Mercury_, helping him to squelch the rumor and the next morning expose the falsity of the news in his columns.
Dr.John Brown, the immortal author of "Rab and His Friends," had called on me at the Waverly Hotel, and that morning I breakfasted with him.

At the breakfast table I made a statement of our side of the conflict and Dr.Brown said: "If you will write up that statement, I will get my friend, Mr.Russell, the editor of the _Scotsman_, to publish it in his paper." I did so and sent it to the care of Dr.Brown.On the following Sabbath afternoon I attended the great prayer meeting in the Free Church Assembly Hall, and Sir James Simpson was to preside.

There was a crowd of over a thousand people present.

Simpson did not come, and so some other elder occupied the chair.

During the meeting I arose and modestly asked that prayer might be offered for my country in this hour of her peril and distress.