And showed in self-advancement little skill,
Who did not write for Smiths and Browns and Bradys,
But at the prompting of her own sweet will—
Her most obsequious partisans should find
In penmen of the parasitic kind.
In vain did Mrs. Gaskell, wise and gracious,
Paint us your portrait, delicate yet true;
Sensation-mongers, strident and voracious,
Must needs explore your inner life anew,
Clutching with fingers ruthlessly tenacious