Many people who work in London prefer to live outside it , and to go into their offices or schools every day by train, car or bus, even though this means they have to get up early in the morning and
reach home late in the evening.
One advantage of living outside London is that houses are cheaper. Even a small flat in London
without a garden costs quite a lot to rent. With the same money, one can get a little house in the country
with a garden of one"s own. Then, in the country one can rest from the noise and hurry of the town.
Even though one has to get up earlier and spend more time in trains or buses, one can sleep better at
night and during weekends and on summer evenings, one can enjoy the fresh, clean air of the country.
If one likes gardens, one can spend one"s free time digging, planting, watering and doing the hundred
and one other jobs which are needed in a garden. Then, when the flowers and vegetables come up, one
has the reward of one who has shared the secret of Nature.
Some people, however, take no interest in country things: for them, happiness lies in the town, with
its cinemas and theatres, beautiful shops and busy streets, dancehalls and restaurants. Such people
would feel that their life was not worth living if they had to live it outside London. An occasional walk in
one of the parks and a fortnight"s (two weeks") visit to the sea every summer is all the country they
want: the_rest they are quite prepared to leave to those who are glad to get away from London every
night.