The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1890-10-02
COMPOSITION.
Jason Gould.
DEECHwOoD SEMINARY.
A Anril q 1870

April o, 1850.
The composition, as handed in to the
principal and approved by him is as fol-
lows:
''HoNEsTY is THE BEST POLICY.
"By this proposition we mean that to
be honest, to think honest and to have
all our actions honestly performed is the
best way, and most accOrds with the
precepts of reason.
Honesty is of a self-denying nature;
to become honest it requires self denial;
it requires that we should not acquaint
ourselves too much with the world; that
we should not associate with those of
vulgar habits; also, that we should obey
the warnings of conscience.
''If we are about to perform dishon-
est act the warnings of conscience exert
their utmost influence to persuade us
that it is wrong and we should not do it,
and after we have performed the act this
faithful agent upbraids us for it. This
voice of conscience is not the voice OF
thunder, but voice gentle and impress
sive. 1t does not force us to comply
with its requests; while at the same
time it reasons with us, and brings forth
arguments in favor of right.
''Since no theory of reasoning can be
sustained without illustration, twill not
be unbecoming for us to cite one of the
many instances that have occurred, whose
names stand high upon the scroll of
fame, and whose deeds are recorded on
the pages of history: George Washing
ton, the man who never told lie in all
| his life.'
"In youth he subduedS his idle pas
siOns, cherished truth, obeyed the teach
ings of conscience and never, never told
a lie;' an anecdote which is much re-
lated, and which occurred when he was
a boy, goes to show his sincerity. Alex
ander Pope, in his Essay on Man, says:
| AN honest man is the nOblest work OF
God
"And again, we find innumerable pas
sages in the Scriptures which have an
Immediate connection to this, and, sum
ming up the whole, we cannot but say,
Honesty is the best policy
Jason GOULD"
Mr.. Oliver also relates an anecdote
which, being characteristic of two men
of note, may not be without interest
One of Gould's classmates at the Rox.
bury Academy was John Burroughs, the
eminent aturalist-litterateur the author
of "Wake Robin and a number of Other
popular books. AS all teachers know, tC
their sorrow, compulsory measures are
Oftentimes necessary TO secure the
dreaded composition, and SO it came
about that the limit of the time was
nearly elapsed, and Burroughs, diffiden
lad of 13, had been unable to indite any
thing that he was willing to submit Il
Principal divers eye and he sat in thu
class room quaking under the shadow o.
the penalty.
"Give me your slate" said yOunl
Gould, tapping Burroughs on the shoul
der.
The slate was quietly passed over
some doggerel verses were hastily dashed
off, the slate returned and the SHADOW
lifted from Burroughs mind.
( The situation was characteristic. Bur
, rOughs, the gifted essayist, waiting TO
: an inspiration that failed to connect
! Jason Gould, plucky and self-reliant
| then as now, master of the situation.
a While vet in his teens young Goul,
r collected the material and wrote with hi
: own hand history of some four hun
l. dred pages of Delaware county, Ne'
y York, and the border wars of that State
\ containing, as the title page narrates
q "a Sketch of the Early Settlements i
the Country and History of the Lat
. Anti-Rent Difficulties in Delaware, wit
4 Other Historical and Miscellaneous Ma
ter, Never Before Published.
This work appeared in 1856, from th
press of Keeney & Gould, Roxbury
N. Y, and met with favor from the pull
lie. The work is not of high literar
merit, but show a judicious selection {
historical data and careful arrang'
ment into very readable narrative. a
the time the book was published Goul
was only 10 years of age and was still
student at Roxbury.
Probably Mr.. Gould's pOsthumou
fame win not be based on literar
achievement, but the above facts serve {
show that as lad he at least venture
upon the field Of letters