The Bell by Mary Spring

At the cottage on Dalhousie Lake, outside the front door, sometimes called the side door, there hung a brass bell. Attached to the bell was a cowhide cord. The ring of the bell meant that the Bell girls were to hurry home. Suppertime, perhaps bedtime or time to head to Perth, five rings meant that the five Bell girls came running. If we were far away, the Barette’s cottage or Mr. Duncan’s farm, the sound of the bell was faint but you needed to run. If you were wandering through Bologne Island or swimming at the beach, it was a short jog back.

For me the Bell meant routine. It reminded me of going to school or camp. Such a feeling comforted me and ensured reconnection with mom.