New-York tribune., 1922-12-03

"The Dials" annual award Of $1,000
had been decided upon and that the
news wss released for to-day. lie said he
would give me three guesscs a. to the win
ncr; but told him I didn't NEED to guess
at all, knowing. OF course that Il would 20 10
T. s. ELIOT. / am glad. for hear tina, the
attempt 10 raise an endowment fund for
Eliot has fallen through and Eliot Is not enly
IN serious m health. but financially dts
tressed in the bargain. The award, then,
"a was the one last year to Sherwood An
derson. Is. not only based upon the sound
est merit, but also Is calculated 10 realize
the aim Of "The Dial" In establishing tt
4 G., to provide a certain amount OF reliei
from the harassment Of corning living to
the creative artist who has not yet been able
10 secure a livelihood by his pen. Eliot Is
not only the most meritorious American con
tributor to "The Dial" for the year; he Is
b. way Of being perhaps the most Interest
ing and most important poe, now writing IN
English.
A young business man with whom | had
eorresponded came 10 lunch the other day
Tor advice in his difficulties, which are en-
tirely those Of mind and spirit. | learned
long ago that those who tell you they seek
your advice really do not do so. They seek
an audience Of one. n eonfessor, 70 whom they
may talk freely and in confidence. Some
thing is yelling up within them and they
want a sympathetic ear They may ask from
time to time, "Now. what would you dor
but they do not expect you to tell them;
they want only mods and words Of reassur-
ance, encouragement; they want 70 be
bolstered up in their decisions and opinions
when they have talked things out TO you
provided you have been vague and indirect
enough in your response. they feel better
To presume with actual advice is not only
foolish, but nine times in ten il Is disastrous.
, The adviser cannot know the complete his
tory Of the peculiar circumstances about
which he is asked to form judgmeat, and
his advice, therefore, always involves one OF
two things-the convenient platitudes OF
hypothetical conduct or the shAky data OF
ones own experience and reflection. The
one is transeendcntal and the other is lido
gyneratic, and neither is Of any use in human
difficulties unless II just happens to At IN
by chance II such advice is given and is
acted upon, out Of an exaggerated esteem for
the wisdom Of the adviser. il almost always
turns out badly Ones problems are ones
own and cannot by their nature be any ones
else This young man is an idealist.
That is enough for you to know that he is in
for a hard time Of it in this world He Is
in competitive business. which complieates
matters and makes them worse. He is
successful, earning $4,000 or $4,000 year;
bat the peculiar nature Of his work and its
contacts make him uncomfOrtably aware that
his success has been attained by frequent
sacrifices OF seruples and by deliberate edg-
ing down Of his talents. In fine, he is frus-
trated man, weighed with sense Of failure,
bAfled in his quest for that serenity that
comes from a conscience at ease with the
facts Of life. have listened ~ many stories
similar TO his. In each case, sure,
have been auditor TO eKAggeration and per-
haps not little to uneons seious self-deeeption,
but that does not mitigate the pain Of
spiritual hunger that finds little to feed
upon. l record this because people blandly