Mrs. Oliphant was a 19th century Scottish novelist, biographer and historian. She is best known for her depiction of small town life. After the death of her husband she began writing over 100 books as a means of supporting her children and those of her brother. In Old Lady Mary the ghost of Mary tries to give all of her worldly possessions to her young ward. The Mary's ghost must deal with the limitations of being a woman even though she is a ghost.