I asked no other thing — Fool's Gold

I asked no other thing－¹
No other－was denied－
I offered Being－for it－
The Mighty Merchant sneered－

Brazil? He twirled a Button－⁵
Without a glance my way－
"But－Madam－is there nothing else－
That We can show－Today?"

(F.687/J.621)

[1] I:: Mary Wilson, a character in A Live Woman in the Mines (1857) by Alonzo Delano.
[1, 2] asked no other thing:: Mary asked to offer menial services in Sacramento but was rejected everywhere. She came with her husband John to seek fortune in California.
[3] Being for it:: Mary asked no other thing but John's love. She offered her life for love. Mary to John: "You little know the strength of woman's love. Where her heart is, there is her heaven on earth. I will never leave you till death throws its dark mantle round me."
[5] Brazil:: iron pyrites, nicknamed fool's gold. This poem critics a woman and her treatment among men. Button:: At the end of the play, miners found a gold mine for Mary. She asked miners what can she repay them. "Pshaw! by sewing on our buttons."
[6] Without a glance:: a mock on the ending of the play, that Mary's gold mine was just pyrites.
[7] Madam, nothing else:: in this play, woman was depressed to do only "menial" work.
[8] show:: a hint on stage play.

Mary: O, John, are we not well paid for all our trials and misfortunes? How can I ever repay you for your many, many kindnesses?
Old Swamp: Pshaw! by sewing on our buttons, nursing poor, sick, miners, giving kind words to all, and making us think of and love still better our wives and sweethearts at home, as you have done. ─ A Live Woman in the Mines (1857)

Preparations have ostensibly been made for smelting the ore, but the "wise ones" have little confidence in the undertaking, and consider the mineral discovered, if any, to be pyrites or fool's gold. ─ A Gazetteer of the State of New Jersey (1834)