He's getting round all right--but stewing in a broth of trouble, as usual, poor man.
"'Course he brews up most of it for himself, but I reckon that don't make it any easier to bear." "He's an awful pessimist," said Miss Cornelia.
"Well, no, he ain't a pessimist exactly, Cornelia.

He only jest never finds anything that suits him." "And isn't that a pessimist ?" "No, no.

A pessimist is one who never expects to find anything to suit him.

Geordie hain't got THAT far yet." "You'd find something good to say of the devil himself, Jim Boyd." "Well, you've heard the story of the old lady who said he was persevering.

But no, Cornelia, I've nothing good to say of the devil." "Do you believe in him at all ?" asked Miss Cornelia seriously.
"How can you ask that when you know what a good Presbyterian I am, Cornelia?
How could a Presbyterian get along without a devil ?" "DO you ?" persisted Miss Cornelia.
Captain Jim suddenly became grave.
"I believe in what I heard a minister once call 'a mighty and malignant and INTELLIGENT power of evil working in the universe,'" he said solemnly.