ABSTRACT
Fromherfirstpublishedshortstory,'LibbieMarsh'sThreeEras' (1847),totheendofhercareer,Gaskellproducedaboutthirtytales. Shewasanaturalstory-teller.Dickens'stributetoherasthe fascinatingnarratoroftheThousand-and-One-Nights,thoughpart ofanattempttoplacateherafterhehadwrittenuponeofherghost storiesas'ToBeReadatDusk',suggestshowhevaluedherasa contributor.Thereareherownaccountsoftellingtalesamong friends-withtheHowittsatHeidelbergin1841,'themostfrightening&wildstorieswehadeverheard,- somesuchfearfulones-all true'(44);orthoseghoststoriestheproposedtellingofwhichshook CharlotteBronte,orthetalestheWinkworthsheard.Eventhe novelsshowatendencytoself-containedorinsetstories;hercharactersareinveteratestory-tellers.Theoftenseparateexistenceofsuch storiesfromthenovelinwhichtheycametobeembodiedis suggestedbyanindependentmanuscriptversionoftheghoststoryin Sylvia'sLovers(ch.38).1
