Show Sculptor Fails to Correct Text Used by Shaw on Memorial Stone WINDLESHAM WINDLE SHAM Sculptor ENGLAND Sculptor Jack can take his place among the critics who have failed to change George Bernard Shaws Shaw's literary style was commissioned by Shaw to carve an epitaph on a gravestone for Mrs C. C R. R Higgs wife of Shaws Shaw's former gardener Mrs Higgs was Shaws Shaw's housekeeper house house- housekeeper housekeeper keeper for many years The epitaph which is to serve also for the husband when he dies reads Bernard Shaw writer of many plays raised this stone in grateful memory of his faithful friends and helpers Clara Rebecca Higgs who passed away on August 1948 in her year and of Har Har- Harry I Har-I Harry ry Batchelor Higgs who followed her on the in his year Free to Work For many years they kept his home and garden at Ayot St. St Lawrence in the County of Hert Hert- thereby setting him free to to do the work he was fitted for No playwright was ever better served But does not ap ap- approve approve approve prove of ending a sentence with witha a preposition I didn't feel sure seeing that Mr Shaw is such a famous lit lit- man that he would like to have me carve a sentence for him ending in a preposition East East- haugh told newsmen He took up this grammatical point with Shaw Shaw Replies Shaw promptly sent the following Stick to my text It will save cutting five letters I never use these for and not He was fitted for is genuine ver ver- vernacular vernacular vernacular English For which he was fitted is schoolmasters schoolmaster's bad Eng Eng- lish said he would do as instructed Then he added But ButI I still think it is bad English |