His father, having sold his property at Northington, moved back to Farmington where he was employed to run the flour mill owned by Cowles, Deming & Camp. This employment he continued for twenty-eight years. Up to the year 1816 Wilford remained with his father. He attended school in Farmington until he was fourteen years of age. On the first of May, 1821, he went to live with Col. George Cowles with whom he remained two years. While there he attended school in the winter and worked upon a farm during the {22} summer months. It was while living with Mr. Cowles that Wilford again witnessed a religious revival which was conducted by the Presbyterians, who were at that time the only sect in Farmington. Of this second revival he writes: "I attended the meetings, inquiry, Sunday schools, and prayer meetings. I tried to get religion by effort and prayer, but my efforts created darkness instead of light and I was not happy in the attempt. They wanted us to give our hearts to God without telling us what to do or explaining any principle in a comprehensive manner. There were many young people at that time of my age who made a profession of religion. I did not wish to make a mockery of sacred things by professing light when I had received none, so I kept aloof from all professions." At this time the Woodruff family was undergoing a severe struggle for a livelihood. Young Wilford lived out, first with one and then with another, working hard during the summer and fall and attending school in the winter. In the year 1823 while making his abode with Mr. Andrew Mills he underwent his first attack of homesickness. "Mr. Mills was a proud and austere man," he writes, "I had never before lived at a place where I did not feel free and sociable, and there was no conversation between us except to ask or answer a question. I ate and slept very little there for two weeks. Relief, however, came to me when I started to school and made the acquaintance of my fellow students. My homesickness left me and never came back. "I returned home in 1825, soon after which my father made a contract with Mr. Horace Todd that I should work one year with him." The year, however, did not pass before the boy split his instep with an ax. This ended his service there, but his brother Thompson took the place there and worked the year out. "Thus we kept our contract." Wilford was crippled for nine months. At the end of that time he left home on horse back in search of work. Again misfortune overtook him. He was thrown from his horse and compelled to return home where he remained for some time. There was always a welcome in his home, because of the love and respect every member of the family entertained for him.