The Clockmaker: The Sayings and Doings of Samuel Slick: Volume One (Nonsuch Classics)

Sam Slick first appeared in a series of sketches in the NovaScotian during 1835 and 1836 and proved so popular that they were published in book form with additional stories in 1838. He is credited with coining such phrases as "the early bird gets the worm," "to get blood out of a stone," "to drink like a fish," and "it’s raining cats and dogs," among others. His "sayings and doings" resonated with the times, addressing as they did such issues as race, the abolition of slavery, and colonialism. Sam Slick of Slickville is a clock-peddler who accompanies a visiting English gentleman on an unforgettable tour of early 19th-century Nova Scotia. His shrewd observations and witty commentaries make up the 33 sketches of The Clockmaker.

Thomas Chandler Haliburton (1796-1865) was born and grew up in Nova Scotia, where he practiced law and was involved with local politics before becoming a judge. He was a prolific writer and freely expressed his views on slavery (for) and democracy (against). Towards the end of his life he moved to England, where he remodeled himself as an "English gentleman" before his death.