If you want to read something by Margaret Oliphant, her ghost story "The Open Door" is much, much shorter than Miss Marjoribanks and absolutely riveting, marvelous atmosphere. I don't think I've seen a ghost story quite like it before.

I've read Cranford and North and South, the second of which is also pretty issues-y. Gaskell's grasp of Issues simply never strikes me as nearly as deep or interesting as her grasp of human nature.