The Attache

The Attache; or, Sam Slick in England?by Thomas Chandler Haliburton

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Title: The Attache; or, Sam Slick in England
Author: Thomas Chandler Haliburton
Release Date: April, 2005 [EBook #7823] [Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on May 19, 2003]
Edition: 10
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ATTACHE ***

This etext was produced by Gardner Buchanan.

THE ATTACHE; OR, SAM SLICK IN ENGLAND.
BY THOMAS CHANDLER HALIBURTON.

(Greek Text)--GREEK PROVERB.
Tell you what, report my speeches if you like, but if you put my talk in, I'll give you the mitten, as sure as you are born.--SLICKVILLE TRANSLATION

London, July 3rd, 1843.
MY DEAR HOPKINSON,
I have spent so many agreeable hours at Edgeworth heretofore, that my first visit on leaving London, will be to your hospitable mansion. In the meantime, I beg leave to introduce to you my "Attache," who will precede me several days. His politics are similar to your own; I wish I could say as much in favour of his humour. His eccentricities will stand in need of your indulgence; but if you can overlook these, I am not without hopes that his originality, quaint sayings, and queer views of things in England, will afford you some amusement. At all events, I feel assured you will receive him kindly; if not for his own merits, at least for the sake of
Yours always,
THE AUTHOR.
To EDMUND HOPKINSON ESQ. Edgeworth, Gloucestershire.

CONTENTS OF THE FIRST VOLUME.
CHAPTER I.
UNCORKING A BOTTLE
CHAPTER II.
A JUICY DAY IN THE COUNTRY
CHAPTER III.
TYING A NIGHT-CAP
CHAPTER IV.
HOME AND THE SEA
CHAPTER V.
T'OTHER EEND OF THE GUN
CHAPTER VI.
SMALL POTATOES AND FEW IN A HILL
CHAPTER VII.
A GENTLEMAN AT LARGE
CHAPTER VIII.
SEEING LIVERPOOL
CHAPTER IX.
CHANGING A NAME
CHAPTER X.
THE NELSON MONUMENT
CHAPTER XI.
COTTAGES
CHAPTER XII.
STEALING THE HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE
CHAPTER XIII.
NATUR'
CHAPTER XIV.
THE SOCDOLAGER
CHAPTER XV.
DINING OUT
CONTENTS OF THE SECOND VOLUME.
CHAPTER I.
THE NOSE OF A SPY
CHAPTER II.
THE PATRON; OR, THE COW'S TAIL
CHAPTER III.
ASCOT RACES
CHAPTER IV.
THE GANDER PULLING
CHAPTER V.
THE BLACK STOLE
CHAPTER VI.
THE PRINCE DE JOINVILLE'S HORSE
CHAPTER VII.
LIFE IN THE COUNTRY
CHAPTER VIII.
BUNKUM
CHAPTER IX.
THROWING THE LAVENDER
CHAPTER X.
AIMING HIGH
CHAPTER XI.
A SWOI-REE
CHAPTER XII.
TATTERSALL'S
CHAPTER XIII.
LOOKING BACK
CHAPTER XIV.
CROSSING THE BORDER
CHAPTER XV.
THE IRISH PREFACE

THE ATTACHE; OR SAM SLICK IN ENGLAND.
CHAPTER I.
UNCORKING A BOTTLE.
We left New York in the afternoon of -- day of May, 184-, and embarked on board of the good Packet ship "Tyler" for England. Our party consisted of the Reverend Mr. Hopewell, Samuel Slick, Esq., myself, and Jube Japan, a black servant of the Attache.
I love brevity--I am a man of few words, and, therefore, constitutionally economical of them; but brevity is apt to degenerate into obscurity. Writing a book, however, and book-making, are two very different things: "spinning a yarn" is mechanical, and book-making savours of trade, and is the employment of a manufacturer. The author by profession, weaves his web by the piece, and as there is much competition in this branch of trade, extends it over the greatest possible surface, so as to make the most of his raw material. Hence every work of fancy is made to reach to three volumes, otherwise it will not pay, and a manufacture that does not requite the cost of production, invariably and inevitably terminates in bankruptcy. A thought, therefore, like a pound of cotton, must be well spun out to be valuable. It is very contemptuous to say of a man, that he has but one idea, but it is the highest meed of praise that can be bestowed on a book. A man, who writes thus, can write for ever.
Now, it is not only not my intention to write for ever, or as Mr. Slick would say "for everlastinly;" but to make my bow and retire very soon from the press altogether. I might assign many reasons for this modest course, all of them plausible, and some of them indeed quite dignified. I like dignity: any man who has lived the greater part of his life in a colony is so accustomed