He had neither self-consciousness
nor fear; and while not possessed of absolute tact in a social way, he
had a knack of doing the right thing bluntly, or the wrong thing with an
air of rightness. He envied no man, he coveted nothing; had once or twice
made other men's fortunes by prospecting, but was poor himself. And in
all he was content, and loved life and Viking.
Immediately after Roscoe had reached the mountains Phil had become his
champion, declaring that there was not any reason why a man should not be
treated sociably because he was a parson. Phil had been a great
traveller, as had many who settled at last in these valleys to the
exciting life of the river: salmon-catching or driving logs. He had lived
for a time in Lower California and Mexico, and had given Roscoe the name
of The Padre: which suited the genius and temper of the rude population.
And so it was that Roscoe was called The Padre by every one, though he
did not look the character.
As he told his story of Phil's life I could not help but contrast him
with most of the clergymen I knew or had seen. He had the admirable ease
and tact of a cultured man of the world, and the frankness and warmth of
a hearty nature, which had, however, some inherent strain of melancholy.
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