Tuning the Chime

The brass thimble was surprisingly solid in my grip. Rather than abandon it on the mail slot sill, I carried it along the shop’s exterior molding toward the corner of the display window. A thin brass wind chime hung suspended from an iron hook just under the shop’s awning. Stepping onto the outer sash, I reached up and carefully rested the hollow thimble over the central striker of the chime. A faint afternoon gust nudged the tubes. Instead of a sharp ring, it produced a dense, mellow hum. My shoulder bells answered with a soft, sympathetic shiver. An agreeable modification.