The bell tolls

It was a silver handbell, only 4 or 5 inches tall with a black handle, but it made quite a noise — and it had quite an impact. Mom used it every day in our childhood home.

She would step out onto the front stoop in the evening and ring this bell for a few seconds with all her might. My siblings and I would be playing in the neighborhood and knew this was her signal for us to get home for supper — and she better not have to ring it twice.