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a) my father always seemed to be somewhat sad and withdrawn.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.