Social Life of the Garden City 179 



which was to be opened to the eyes of the common 

 mind. We adopted almost as a watchword, the ex- 

 pression : "The world is only as wide as our thought 

 give us the wide horizon!" 



It may be said that many people do not care for 

 opportunities of entertainment and education, but pre- 

 fer to spend their time at home, or in the company of 

 their particular friends; hence, that these institutions 

 of community life would languish. 



That would be true, if the founders assumed that 

 all people have the same tastes, and, therefore, that all 

 would wish to attend the same function at the same 

 time. Accommodations based on that theory would 

 very often exhibit a discouraging amount of empty 

 space. The most popular affair would rarely attract 

 more than ten to twenty per cent of the community. 

 Social tastes are widely diversified, and fortunately so. 

 People form themselves into groups by natural at- 

 traction and common interests. The fellows who want 

 to play chess or billiards, or cards, are not long in 

 finding each other out and cementing firm ties of fel- 

 lowship. It is so with the literary, musical, scientific 

 and religious groups. Then there are studious indi- 

 viduals who haunt the library and reading-room, and a 

 certain percentage of "clubable" folk who like to sit 

 around the fireplace and swap yarns. These matters 

 all readily adjust themselves. 



There is such a thing as the social instinct; and the 

 properly organized garden city offers the fundamental 

 conditions best suited to its successful cultivation. 



In writing of these hopes to Secretary Lane, with 

 special reference to the civic center in a garden city 



