Stella Campbell, known as Mrs. Patrick Campbell after her first husband (deceased), was the first actress to play Eliza in G.B. Shaw’s play Pygmalion. There is no doubt that Mr. Shaw loved her deeply and passionately, but that love was not to be realized, as evidenced by her letter to him, dated 18 November, 1912 :
No more shams — a real love letter this time — then I can breathe freely, and perhaps who knows begin to sit up and get well –
I haven’t said ‘kiss me’ because life is too short for the kiss my heart calls for… All your words are as idle wind — Look into my eyes for two minutes without speaking if you dare! Where would be
your 54 years? and my grandmother’s heart? and how many hours would you be late for dinner?– If you give me one kiss and you can only kiss me if I say ‘kiss me’ and I will never say ‘kiss me’ because I am a respectable widow and I wouldn’t let any man kiss me unless I was sure of the wedding ring –
Stella
(Liza, I mean).
It would seem that Stella was of the opinion that Shaw talked too much, and is quoted as having once said to him, “When you were quite a little boy, somebody ought to have said ‘hush’ just once.” G.B. Shaw never gave up, though. A few months later he penned the following romantic letter to Stella:
February 27, 1913.
To ‘Stella’ Beatrice Campbell
I want my rapscallionly fellow vagabond.
I want my dark lady. I want my angel -
I want my tempter.
I want my Freia with her apples.
I want the lighter of my seven lamps of beauty, honour,
laughter, music, love, life and immortality … I want
my inspiration, my folly, my happiness,
my divinity, my madness, my selfishness,
my final sanity and sanctification,
my transfiguration, my purification,
my light across the sea,
my palm across the desert,
my garden of lovely flowers,
my million nameless joys,
my day’s wage,
my night’s dream,
my darling and
my star…
George Bernard Shaw
Unfortunately for him, his verbose plea didn’t do the trick, and Stella went on to marry another gentleman. one Major George Cornwallis-West. Despite this, the mismatched couple continued to correspond for over 40 years. It just goes to show that when words are not enough, more words will not help!
2 Comments
dear, your compilation is great - love it! please lets get connected on BC.
veryheavenly greetings from germany
Interesting article, however it leaves me wanting to know more about GB Shaw. Thanks for writing something that intrigued me.