144 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters. 
Within these postulated bounds, I cannot think of aught that 
differs from a northward motion, save a motion in a different 
direction—say northeastward. But this I cannot think of 
as a “being-done,” distinct as such from northward “doing.” 
I succeed no better if I box the compass with successive il¬ 
lustrations. In particular, a motion southward-—the only “op¬ 
posite” which I can think of—does not seem to me at all a 
backward northward motion, even less a “being-done” correla¬ 
tive to northward motion sensed as “doing.” Contrariwise, and 
very clearly, motion southward does impress me also as a for¬ 
ward motion on its own account, and as itself a “doing”—quite 
as much so as a motion northward. 
To illustrate more emphatically, I recall the flight of a 
meteor. Something the meteor “did”; or—if you like it bet¬ 
ter-energy of some sort, subject to the law of gravity, “did 
something” to the meteor. In this “doing” I can not conceive 
a genuine change, apart from unconsidered circumstances, save 
a change in the velocity or the direction of the motion. As 
variation in velocity is plainly not intended by the users of 
the passive voice, I heed direction only, noting that a change 
in it would merely, as I found above, develop another “doing” 
rather than a “being-done.” Especially if the meteor reversed 
its course and, plunging from the earth, fled into space, I should 
by no means call this different flight a “being-done”, but cer¬ 
tainly an even more conspicuous “doing.” Eor such a “doing” 
would run counter to the universal course of cause and effect. 
What we conceive as meteors do not—never will—reverse their 
flight, until creation shall retrace its steps. As in such reversal 
contact with the earth must antedate appearance in the sky, 
the half-delirious fancy voiced in “Backward! Turn backward, 
oh Time! in your flight” will then be realized. The marching 
hours, days and years will “about face.” “The last shall be 
first; and the first shall be last.” 
If now the impressions of others tally with my own, it may 
be granted that ideas of action sensed as “being-done” distinct 
from “doing,” cannot be derived from cosmic sources. 
