Evening star., 1950-12-24
Reviewed by Carter Brooke Jone.

And yet there is one thread
the lives Of Mary. the devout 6
and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec,
steele Montmatre, who was one
Of the greatest post-impressionist
artists.
Both were born in luxury anC
spent their early years with every
advantage and a future bright
with the promise of pleasant
things. Both found themselves
In youth thwarted by fate. then
lives suddenly frustrated.
The artist was born into
famous French family of wealth
with a title dating back to the
Crusades. Henri was a healthy
normal child with a remarkable
gift for drawing. Then, before he
was 13, a series of illnesses and
two falls left him crippled for life,
His legs failed to grow. In man
hood he was a dwarf. misShapen
ugly, able to walk painfully with
q cane. He couldn't endure the
life of his estranged parents
the sportsmen and boulevard1ers
his father ran with, or his mothers
quieter, more correct social set,
The obvious pity and distaste OF
their friends were too much. He
fled to an art school in Paris.
The stuffy academician who pre-
sided would not allow the faintest
touch OF originality. The colors
Henri felt-vivid greens and reds
were garish, unheard Of. He
must subdue everything, as the
old masters had. He secluded
himself in the studio he had taken
on the lawless Butte, where people
did as they pleased. He worked
In his own way. The girls Of his
caste shrank from him. regarded
him with a shudder they concealed
under well-bred politeness. Pros
titutes and dance-hall girls were
not so particular. The other
artists didn't care what he looked
like; he had mind and obvious
genius. He drank heavily because
it stilled the throbbing in his legs
and made him less conscious Of his
deformity. He burned himself
out at 81. leaving pictures. espe-
cially Autographs. which the great
galleries cherish or covet.
Queen Mary's Childhood.
Queen Mary, too, had a magic
childhood. Her father, James v
of Scotland, had died in her in
fancy. Her French mother, Marie
of Guise, sent the child to France
for safety from the maraudine
English armies when she was not
quite 6. She grew up at the
French court, lovely, highly tai
ented. ION one historic occasion,
when she was about 13, she read
aloud to the somewhat awed court
assembled at the Louvre an orig
inal Latin discourse on the higher
education of women!" She mar
ried youthful Francois II. heir to
the throne. For a while they ruled
France together. But Francois,
who had been her childhood
sweetheart, was sickly and soon
died.
In 1861 Mary returned to Scot
land and assumed the throne. to
which she had been technically
elevated in infancy. Scotland was
in virtual civil war over religion,
while in England Queen Elizabeth
was plotting against Mary and
her Catholic friends. But Mary
amazingly for that day. came out
for religious tolerance. She not
only forbade religious persecu-
ton, but gave Protestants impor-
tant Offices of state, in hope OF
conciliating the factions. The only
result was to thicken the web OF
intrigue gathering about her. She
made many mistakes. The worst
was her marriage to Lord Darnley
a scoundrel, who later was muir
dered in retaliation for his treach-
cries. Mary made too many COM
promises - hence the authors
Characterization, Queen Of Par
adox"-and yet, after falling into
Elizabeth's hands and enduring IL
years Of imprisonment with calm
bravery. she died on the scaffolc
q martyr to her faith.
A Logical Projection.
The book about Toulouse
Lautrec is of that hybrid species
the biographical novel. There
are two opinions of such books
And yet this partly fanciful &C
count seems a logical projection
of what we know of M. Tou-
louise. Certainly it Is the best
biographical novel about an artist
since Irving Stone published his
story of Henri's dear friend, Vim.
cent Van Gogh. Mr.. La Mure has
written several books in French
This is his first in English. The
writing is surprisingly effective
once the author gets warmed ur
and quits writing such non-stor
sentences as the one on page II
that assays 131 words. It is a col.
orful, absorbing story, which in
spires a deep sympathy for thu
crippled artist. At least Toulouse
Lautrec had his revenge on the darl
powers that turned him into {
grotesque. He left imperishablt
creations. Despite his Illustration
his unhappiness, he triumphec
because he was a genius. Mary
failed in her main purposes-t,
restore harmony in Scotland ant