Poetry was not Mrs. Gaskell’s _forte_, but her poetical instinct revealed
itself especially in her prose idylls—_Cranford_ and _Cousin Phillis_.
Almost all her articles and sketches were written for _Household Words_
and _All the Year Round_, though Mrs. Gaskell’s fame rests on her novels.
Charles Dickens eagerly secured Mrs. Gaskell as a regular contributor
to his magazine, and her versatility was shown by the many different
subjects which she discussed with so much ability.