Murray Pura's Let Freedom Ring - Volume 8 - The Stonecutter's Gift

In 1864 in Washington, Lot Flannery and his brother own a monument company. Lot is a stonecutter responsible for carving the names and dates on the memorial monuments. But he dreams of being a sculptor and creating beautiful statues. Every morning a group of young women walk past the stonecutter's workshop on their way to the Washington Arsenal where they work. Lot is attracted to one of the young women and soon, the two of them form an unlikely romance. On one particular morning, Lot waves to the group as they pass. An hour later, the Washington Arsenal explodes, killing 21 women, his love among them. In his grief, Lot works day and night for weeks carving a statue. When he is finished, the statue, called Grief, is that of a young woman...his love, forever immortalized in stone. (This is based on a true account of Lot Flannery's life and work. His statue, called Grief, graces the Washington Memorial Cemetery and stands atop a 25-foot pedestal).