Which sentence in this excerpt from mark twain’s short story “the celebrated jumping frog of calaveras county” is an example of direct characterization? i found simon wheeler dozing comfortably by the barroom stove of the old, dilapidated tavern in the ancient mining camp of angel's, and i noticed that he was fat and bald-headed, and had an expression of winning gentleness and simplicity upon his tranquil countenance. he roused up and gave me good-day. i told him a friend of mine had commissioned me to make some inquiries about a cherished companion of his boyhood named leonidas w. smiley — rev. leonidas w. smiley — a young minister of the gospel, who he had heard was at one time a resident of angel's camp. i added, that, if mr. wheeler, could tell me anything about this rev. leonidas w. smiley, i would feel under many obligations to him. simon wheeler backed me into a corner and blockaded me there with his chair, and then sat me down and reeled off the monotonous narrative which follows this paragraph.