The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-27
REAL BERNARD SHAW

REAL BERNARD SHAW Dr. Archibald Henderson of the Univer-
 sity of North Carolina. in January Munsey's.
 It was Oscar Wilde who once said of Bernard Shaw that he had many enemies, and that none of his friends quite liked him. Truth, as Wilde maintained, Is I only relative term, and this is not even a half-truth. Bernard Shaw's enemies, I believe, are generous enemies, who respect him, even while they wholly dls- agree with him. Those who believe In him as a genius, though they may not share his philosophy. are animated by spirit of the finest loyalty. Never was man more blessed with adherents who would stand up for him in the last ditch. Somebody once asked MT Shaw why he was always so cynical; to which ne replied that he could not account for his cynicism-it must NA accepted as the primary and origil "n genius. His abilit ,ut illusion, his power ieo truth before a shot sH or rosive wit, which ta or extraordinary intel zcr i- leo many people to r ee ely | cynical and fiippant
 1T am not a cynic at all,' Jaw said to me, If by 'cynic' is meant one who despairs of human virtue, and dis believes in the inherent goodness of man. But all this babble about the search for happiness does not impose on me in the slightest degree. Remember the saying of Napoleon:
 "'Could I be what am, little one. | cared I only for happiness?
 'It is a common error to mistake penetrating critic for a cynic. l owe my success as a critic, not to any quality l of syniclsm but to searching power of l analysis"
 Bernard Shaw is a remarkable conver- l sationallst-no mere Coleridge in monop- oly of the stage, but as good listener as a talker He recently said, in answer 10 a question: that the only two subjects he cared to talk of were politics and religion. l As a matter of fact, he talks volubly and unhesitatingly on any and every topic that comes to hand. His brilliancy In discussing questions with which he IS l familiar is equaled only by his fiuency in discoursing upon themes of which he is entirely ignorant. He Is prepared, at a moments notice to deliver an opinion of any subject under the sun, from Ger l oIo Richard Wagner to Anthony Comstock. l And in almost all cases, he pours nood of delightful and quite unmalicious satire upon everything and everybody.
 His frank and boyish enjoyment of his effect upon the people he meets Is h. 1 fectious; and nothing delights him more | than to fiaunt a red rag at the British | bull named John.
 Il T get no end of fun out of fiuttering 1 the dovecotes," he told me, "and there is a peculiar exhilaration in creating | among my critics a miniature reign or terror People are always asking me silly | questions, and am human enough to en- l joy mystifying people who have no sense l of humor. Why, only the other day, some one innocently came up to me, and | inquired if I was really serious In all | that said, wrote and did.
 "If you really believe me to be sc- rlous,' I replied. it is unnecessary for me to assure you of the fact. If you do not believe me to be serious, it is equally unnecessary to assure you of something which you would not believe. "
 This Is the boyish. youthful side of Bernard Shaw Talk with him earnestly and sympathetically about any subject whatever-for he takes lively interest l in everything-and he will answer with equal earnestness and sympathy. He has a wide knowledge of music, art and liter ature, and wonderful insight into the heart of modern life. Talking with him, you will discover that Michael Angelo has | strongly influenced his artistic taste; that Mozart is his supreme ideal of the mu- scan for musicians; that his dramas | have vital points of contact with those of Molere; that William Morris opened his eyes to the efficacy oi style, and that he knows his Shakespeare from beginning to end as few men know it. He wears the gay cloak of bravado before the world, Land makes many a brave gesture of Cyranesque clan; but this is only the profound seriousness of the man.
 "It Is a mistake he recently told me, Ito suppose that thrive on depreciation. do not write better under the fire of opposition. At times I love to play with the public and I often say things that know will make my opponents fairly rave But what nerves me to write, and to produce the best that Is in me, Is the knowledge of big, serious public-a public that reads my books seriously, and that really understands what I am driv- ing at"
 Irrepressible high spirits and abound ing life are noteworthy qualities of Bernard Shaw's temperament Yet was deeply impressed with his tremen- dous, at times almost terrifying. earnest ness. You listen to his flashes of wit, the brilliant points of cleverness into which his speech is perpetually focusing. and you are likely to be led into the belief that he is merely light causeur. But let mention be made of some vulgar social abuse, some crying social evil. or some dan.nable social crime, and his whole tone and manner undergo a re- markable transformation. A hoarse
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