Herkomer's father_FB Meyer_

Herkomer was born in the Black Forest, his father a simple wood-chopper. When the artist rose to name and fame in London, and built his studio at Bushey, his first thought was to have the old man come and spend the rest of his years with him. He came, and was very fond of moulding clay. All day he made things out of clay, but as the years passed he thought his hand would lose its cunning. He often went upstairs at night to his room with the sad heart of an old man who thinks his best days are gone by. Herkomer's quick eye of love detected this, and when his father was safe asleep his gifted son would come down­stairs and take in hand the pieces of clay which his old father had left, with the evidences of defeat and failure; and with his own wonderful touch he would make them as fair as they could be made by human hand. When the old man came down in the morn­ing, and took up the work he had left all spoiled the night before, and held it up before the light, he would say, rubbing his hands: “I can do it as well as ever I did.”

                                    F. B. Meyer “Soul’s Ascent” p 29