The 1891 caption reads: He had begun a long poem." The illustration is from Mrs Gaskell's Cranford, showing Mr Mr Holbrook reading "Locksley Hall" to Miss Pole. Elizabeth C Gaskell (died 1865), often referred to as Mrs Gaskell, was an English novelist, biographer, and short story writer. Her novels offer a detailed portrait of the lives of many strata of Victorian society, including the very poor. Her first novel, Mary Barton, was published in 1848. Gaskell's The Life of Charlotte Bronte, published in 1857, was the first biography of Bronte. Among Gaskell's best known novels is Cranford (1851-53). Hugh Thomson (died 1920) was an Irish Illustrator born at Coleraine near Derry. He is best known for his pen-and-ink illustrations of works by authors such as Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, and J. M. Barrie.