And pretty—that is, pretty old,
Pretended that for her dear Jacob
The heaviest cross she’d gladly take up;
But, really, she cared no more
For Jake than for the shoes he wore.
An old maid’s matrimonial chances
Grow very slim as time advances,
And this explains why Sally Skreels
Proposed to share Jake’s bed and meals.
They married. Time fled on apace—