§ 191 Assigning G. B. S. to His Place
When George Bernard Shaw, as a young man, emerged from his native Ireland and moved to England he began writing a column for a London weekly publication.
At that time Oscar Wilde was enjoying his vogue as a wit and an epigram-maker. One evening an acquaintance, calling upon Wilde, happened upon a copy of the paper to which Shaw was a contributor and reading therein one of Shaw’s characteristic articles which was signed with the author’s initials, said to his host:
“I say, Wilde, who is this chap G. B. S. who’s doing a department for this sheet?”
“He’s a young Irishman named Shaw,” said Wilde. “Rather forceful, isn’t he?”
“Forceful,” echoed the other, “well, rather! My word, how he does cut and slash! He doesn’t seem to spare any one he knows. I should say he’s in a fair way to make himself a lot of enemies.”
“Well,” said Wilde, “as yet he hasn’t become prominent enough to have any enemies. But none of his friends like him.”