finally, moved by the appeals of Valmiki and his wife, she clad herself in
her richest robes, and, young and beautiful as when first won by Rama, she
stood before him. Not deigning to look in his face, she appealed to the
earth. If she had never loved any man but Rama, if her truth and purity
were known to the earth, let it open its bosom and take her to it. While
the armies stood trembling with horror, the earth opened, a gorgeous
throne appeared, and the goddess of earth, seated upon it, took Sita
beside her and conveyed her to the realms of eternal happiness, leaving
the too late repentant Rama to wear out his remaining years in shame and
penitence.




SELECTIONS FROM THE RAMAYANA.

THE DESCENT OF THE GANGES.


Sagara, an early king of Ayodhya, had sixty thousand sons, whom he sent
out one day to recover a horse that had been designed for the great
sacrifice, but had been stolen by a rakshasa. Having searched the earth
unsuccessfully, they proceeded to dig into the lower regions.

Cloven with shovel and with hoe, pierced by axes and by spades,
Shrieked the earth in frantic woe; rose from out the yawning shades
Yells of anguish, hideous roars from the expiring brood of hell,--
Serpents, giants, and asoors, in the deep abyss that dwell.
Sixty thousand leagues in length, all unweary, full of wrath,
Through the centre, in their strength, clove they down their hellward