LABOR DAY(S)

In 1894, the year after Nettie Bullis was born, Labor Day was designated a federal holiday and observed with street parades honoring labor organizations and festivals for workers and their families. From what we know of the Bullis family, we wonder if they would have taken part in these festivities. Perhaps they did. Or, perhaps they stayed home and read some of their books on the subject. Here are a few they had to choose  from.

1) An Introduction to the Study of Organized Labor in America by George Gorham Groat, published in 1920.

2) Rural Letters and Other Records of Thought at Leisure, Written in the Intervals of More Hurried Literary Labor by Nathaniel Parker Willis, published in 1849.

3) Narrative of Sojourner Truth: a bondswoman of olden time, emancipated by the New York Legislature in the early part of the present century. With a history of her labors and correspondence drawn from her "Book of Life" by Sojourner Truth,  published in 1875.

Our choice of reading is the last book listed.   In next week's post we'll share some fascinating things about this book and its remarkable author.

(Just an aside - when we searched the Bullis Books data base for "labor," one of the results was David Copperfield, which of course is another wonderful read...but perhaps not for a "day off.")