by and by vs presently

by and by

adv

  • After a short time. 

  • After an indefinite period. 

noun

  • Heaven; the hereafter. Usually preceded with "the sweet." 

presently

adv

  • Before long; soon. 

  • At present; now; currently. 

  • Immediately, at once; quickly. 

How often have the words by and by and presently occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )