Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1907-08-24
SIDE LIGHTS ON SHAW
Professor Henderson Back With
Message From Playwright.
his VIEW OF HIS BIOGRAPHY

Must Be History Of World For Twen-
tJ-fve Years, George Bernard Told
His Biographer-An Artist Calls Him
"a Symphony In Brown"
George Bernard Shaw, Socialist,
! c,ioclast and playwright. believes
1 bis biography should be history
g. 9 world for quarter Of CEN
til according to Professor Archi-
l.: Henderson, who is writing the
lc lays the New York Times. DR..
e. c"%on is assistant professor of
~ u. tics at the University of
-; i tarolina. He reached New
:, ra@aa-ly from England, where he
So x t'vo months getting new side
IL. . Jaw for his book.
E'A'vc hcen a student of Shaw's
plays for ears, and l have written
many magazine articles about them
and on other dramatic TOPICS" said
Professor Henderson,. ''Mr. Shaw is SO
great a man that l wanted to write
his biography. I asked his permission
to do so.
"''To write my biography Mr.. Shaw
replied, ais to write a history of all
the most important movements in art,
literature, politics, drama and s0ciol-
ogy in the last quarter Of the nine
teenth century. If you want to write
a history of that sort, I suppose I'm
as good peg to hang 1t on as any
man living"
Professor Henderson sailed for Eng
land ON June 10, and he and the play
wright have been together most of the
time since at Mr.. Shaw's home in Lon
don and his country home at Ayot st.
Lawrence, in Herefordshire. ,.,e..
AN artist called Mr.. Shaw "a SYM
phony in brown" continued Professor
Henderson, "and it was not inappro-
pirate. He has remarkably clear,
transparent skin, heavy brown beard
and hair and often dresses in soft fan
nels Of the same shade. The most re-
markable thing about him, though, is
his bright blue eyes, full of fire and
dancing half the time He is constant
ly joking and talking in the most brill
liant way. His manner Is full Of an
almost boyish enthusiasm. l found,
too, he did not object to very frank
criticism of himself and his plays.
Naturally he is a much sought man,
and Mrs. Shaw, a fine, capable woman,
acts as a buffer between her husband
and the public. We had lively visit
from Rodin, the French sculptor. Shaw
eould not speak French as duently as
lie wished and pieced out his chat with
gestures Of most vigorous sort that
were very amusing"
Does Mr.. Shaw take himself and his
work quite seriously?" the reporter
asl.;,d. ,. ,. -..
- one sense, yes; in another, no."
r. >ssor Henderson replied. ITO a
q: IN extent he does say and do
tit. IS to attract attention, but under
il ~ is very sincere and serious pur-
rl5&c.
You know, he is so fond Of joking
that he is apt to joke In serious way,
aid the listener does not quite under
stand him. | believe that under it all
is a great purpose. He wants to make
fhA Elost of life, to use all his faculties.
Il believes that if every physical and
intellectual power is not used the idle
part is dead. He compares life not to
t,:ckering candle, but to a flaming
torch held in the hand, and feels he
must spread it's brightness as far as
possible and as long as it is his privi-
lege to possess 1t"
WAS he quoted correctly in saying
he was greater than shakespeare
nat must be taken with d grain Of
s&;1,'' replied Professor Henderson,
with laugh "What he really meant
WIS that he had a much larger horizon
and greater facilities for spreading his
work than Shakespeare had.
Once man came up to me- Mr..
Saw remarked one day, and asked
n /: was serious in all wrote and
sail. I replied: eff you believe me to
be arious, there is no reason why I
slu,;id assure you Of the fact. If you
do believe 1 am serious, there is no
trary is the fact"
have two publ1cS,' Mr.. SHAW
said on another occasion. With one it
is . great pleasure to start hutter-
ing in the dovecots, so to speak. and
cre%te for The time reign Of terror.
But write my plays and books for a
big serious public that really believes
in me-"
SIS Mr.. Shaw appreciated abroadT
"Vell, in that connection can only
say That he is by far the most popular
of living playwrights," Professor Hen
der@o? replied. Surely such popular
1ty :,lU&t be considered in making an
estimate of his work. His plays have
beea translated into every language in
Euro%e except two, Hungarian and
Russian. A pirated edition of some Of
the pays exists In Hungary and has
given Mr. Shaw great deal Of trou-
BILE. 1T is terrible task Mrs. Shaw
remarked one day, that is attendant
upon the translation Of G. B. SIS plays
into so many languages. We were
quite happy she added. with laugh,
~ r. H. ~+n1