Read the following sentences from "The Third Bank of the River." 
 My father was a dutiful, orderly, straightforward man. And according to several reliable people of whom I enquired, he had had these qualities since adolescence or even childhood. By my own recollection, he was neither jollier nor more melancholy than the other men we knew. Maybe a little quieter. 
 Which of the following sentences is the best paraphrase of this excerpt?
 A) My father always seemed to be somewhat sad and withdrawn.
 B) As far as I knew, my father had always been a loyal family man.
 C) Ever since he was a child, my father was both serious and subdued.
 D) From childhood to adulthood, my father was very honest and open.