The road was winding along between two fields of high grass, which waved in the wind. As it waved, Nelly saw bright red and blue flowers among it; some tall, and some low down close to the ground as if they were hiding. "Yes, this is where our land begins," said her father; "this is our own grass: but I don't want you to run in it; we must mow it next week." "Oh, let us, papa; just a little bit--close to the fence. You can spare a little bit of hay," pleaded Nelly; "we'll step light." "Do let them, Robert," said Mrs. March. "I should like to do it myself." "Very well: keep close to the fence, then," said Mr. March, and reined up the horses. Rob and Nelly jumped out, and had clambered over the fence in a second, and waded into the grass. It was nearly up to their shoulders, and they looked very pretty moving about in it, picking the flowers. As Mrs. March was watching them, she suddenly saw a brown bird with yellow breast fly out of the grass, and perch on one of the fence-posts. "Oh, don't stir, children! don't stir!" she cried: "see that bird!" Rob and Nelly stood perfectly still. And what do you think that bird did?--opened his mouth and sang the most exquisite song you ever heard. The canary bird's song is not half so sweet. The bird was not ten steps away from the carriage or from the children: there he sat, looking first at one and then at the other, like a tame bird. In a few seconds he sang again: then he spread his wings and flew a little way into the field, and alighted on a tall, slender grass stalk, and there he sat, swinging to and fro on the grass, and sang again; then he flew away. Nobody drew a long breath till he had gone. "That's a lark," said Billy; "this country's full on 'em; they're the tamest birds for a wild bird I ever see. They'll sing to ye right under your feet." "Well, he's a glorious chorister," said Mr. March. "If he's a chorister, I'd like to go where he keeps his choir," said Rob. "I mean to catch one, and have him to sing in my museum." "Oh, no, Rob," said Nelly; "don't!" "They won't never sing in cages," said Billy. "I've seen it tried many a time. They jest walk, walk, walk up and down, up and down in the cage the hull time, and beat their wings. They can't stand bein' shut up, for all they're so tame actin' while they're free." The children climbed back into the wagon now, with their hands full of flowers; and Billy whipped up the horses. "Git up, Pumpkinseed! git up, Fox!" he said: "there's a crib o' corn ahead for you." Very soon the new home came in sight. It looked, when they first saw it, as if it were half buried in green grass; but, as they came nearer, they saw that the enclosure in which the house and barns stood was entirely bare of grass. This gave it a naked and barren look which was not pleasing, and disappointed Mrs. March very much. However, she said nothing; only thought to herself "I'll have green grass up to that very doorstep, before another year's out."