114 The Morality of Nature 



visible compensation. Necessarily then the search for a 

 visible compensation for every act must be given up. It is 

 sufficient if the things which are apparent, establish a prin- 

 ciple of compensation, and if this principle in turn convinces 

 by its steadfastness. Then we may fairly infer that beyond 

 the limit of memory and foresight the same law prevails. 



This extension of the chain of causes and effects of con- 

 duct backward and forward indefinitely, is therefore not a 

 figure of speech or a romance of idealism. Even though 

 it comes to the door of the infinite and questions the future 

 in eternity, it is dealing with realities. The inferences, de- 

 ductions and consequent action, are based upon actual deeds 

 in the natural law. And in this short review of them it is 

 the previous experience of facts which is appealed to. The 

 question is not whether certain things are well known or 

 unknown; it is what do known things mean and whither 

 do they lead. And the answer is to be found in observations 

 of things as they are, and as we know them although with 

 knowledge admittedly imperfect. 



These examples are chosen because they are real. They 

 are common experiences. There is no question of the truth 

 of these possible occurrences. These few demonstrate before 

 our eyes that conduct produces consequences which fall upon 

 many generations at once, and upon many successive genera- 

 tions in time, but more than that they go far to show that 

 this distribution of compensations is, by direct effect, and 

 by deferred effect, finally made up in complete proportion 

 to the worth of the conduct. If there is in the direct effect 

 an imperfect justice, it is perfected in the deferred effects. 

 If there is in conduct a little error, there will follow a 



