r. Her mother was equally puzzled to
assign a satisfactory reason for the change; but she was not equally
affected by it. In her younger years, she had learned, from
experience, that there is nothing more mutable than the heart of a
lover; and she fancied, even in ordinary cases, that it was only by
practising a great deal of art and finesse that a husband could be
secured. This, in her estimation, being the case, she determined
that--if the experience which she had acquired in these matters could
be rendered available--her daughter should not remain so long
unmarried as she had done herself; and she immediately set her head to
work to contrive the means of bringing about a marriage as speedily as
possible. Nelly recollected some years ago having had a young _pig_,
which could not be prevailed upon to take its victuals. She had tried
to feed it, or, in other words, to thrust meat into its mouth, in the
hope that it would then swallow it; but this only served to make it
more obdurate in its resistance. It seemed determined to starve itself
to death, and she knew not what to make of it. Her husband, however,
bethought him of a scheme which proved successful: on the following
day, he brought home another, which was put in beside its refractory
kinsman, and afterwards, when she came with the victuals, they
immediately commenced fighting about their respective shares. It was
then _who should get most_; and each would have eaten up the whole, if
its skin would have contained as much. The bee is said to gather honey
from every flower; and there are some people who will learn something
from every incident. Nelly instantly discovered a strong analogy
between the case of the single _pig_ and its victuals, and the case of
a young woman with a single sweetheart; and, having discovered an
analogy in the cases, she felt certain that there must also be an
analogy in the cures. The present emergency seemed to be a most
favourable opportunity for trying the correctness of this theory by
that best of all possible tests--an experiment; and she forthwith
resolved, were the thing practicable, that Jenny should have a new
sweetheart, if peradventure his presence would produce a favourable
revolution in the sentiments of the old one.

Measures were accordingly adopted, and the most feasible schemes were
laid--schemes which, with proper management, could hardly have failed
of success. Jenny also received such hints and instructions as were
de