Jan 21-11
My dear Miss Addams
We have been living with you lately & have greatly enjoyed ourselves. Wld that we cld meet. I doubt if I leave England again. After my illness last year in wh. my heart suffered I have to go slowly & have to hope only that I may do my work. My [page 2] wife is, I am thankful to say well & the Garden Suburb grows under her hands. It is beautiful. With our nearly 5000 residents living by their own gardens & in face of a wide western view. Wld that you cld see it with us. Is there a chance of your coming?
We have much profited by your book, by its revelation of yourself & of what Hull House stands for. We both feel that it [page 3] has gone more deeply into the heart of things than Toynbee Hall has done & there is not a criticism I can offer. The House has illustrated the truth of the saying "Where 2 or 3 are gathered with an unselfish or non self regarding object there is Xt." Faith has made it do wonderful things in gathering together humans so diverse & in putting before them [the] different objects wh. have led them onwards. Good people among us have gathered people in clubs & have either tried to impose their objects or leaving them alone have let them fall to the lower standard, but Hull House has both gathered & led them up. I was struck in reading a review of Bryce new edition that he put faith in American [sociability] as the power wh. will enable the country to face the gigantic difficulties wh. threaten its very existence. Thank you for the sending your book & we thank God for you & Your friends.
I am affectionately
Saml A Barnett [signed]
Comments