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Episode #413: "It Came Upon A Midnight Clear"
Original Air Date: December 22, 1997
Written by:
Ken LaZebnik
Directed by:
Michael Schultz Produced
by: Martha Williamson, Jon Andersen & R.J. Visciglia, Jr.
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Guest
Cast: |
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Sam |
Paul Winfield |
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Wayne |
Randy Travis |
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Joey |
Paul Wittenburg |
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Edna |
Monique Ridge |
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Mark Twain |
John Collum |
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Katy Leary |
Helena Carroll |
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Jean |
Kate Fuglei |
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When Joey breaks the
Christmas angel while he and Wayne decorate the Christmas tree, Wayne
leaves him alone to monitor the turkey while he goes out into the snow
to buy a new angel. As the storm causes the lights to go out,
Monica arrives to console Joey by telling him the story of the
Christmas she spent with Mark Twain in 1909. Monica begins,
explaining how Twain had returned home on Christmas eve after a long
absence to find his beloved daughter Jean, his housekeeper Katy Leary,
a townswoman, Mrs. Allen with her daughter Helen. Immediately
prior to Twain's arrival, Jean shows the others her Christmas gift to
her father, a copy of a lost verse from Twain's favorite Longfellow
poem. When Twain arrives, Jean hurriedly hides the scroll on the
tree. Twain then arrives and, as Mrs. Allen and Helen leave,
Twain comments that such sweetness is the stuff of Heaven. Twain
reflects on the deaths of his wife, daughter and infant son and says
he is too old to be cheered up. Back in the present, Edna, the
church organist, arrives to use Joey's phone but the lines are dead.
As Wayne's truck swerves off the road, Monica resumes the story with
the death of Jean on Christmas morning. While attempting to
console Mr. Twain, Monica is lambasted and told to leave. In the
present, Tess arrives with the sheriff who tells Joey that he found
Wayne's truck but not Wayne and Joey's becomes more worried.
Shortly thereafter, Andrew, the Angel of Death, enters and Monica
continues the story. Monica is sent back to Twain by God and
prays for help. At that very moment, Sam, the internal affairs
angel, arrives and approaches Twain but is soon thrown out as Twain
topples the Christmas tree. As Joey sits listening to the story,
he is now convinced that Wayne is dead and topples his own Christmas
tree. Monica then manages to calm Joey down for long enough to
hear the end of Twain's story. She continues with the young
girl, Helen returning to present the scroll that was to be Jean's
surprise gift. As Helen finishes reading the known verses, Twain
reads the lost verse. "God is not dead, nor doth he sleep.
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail. With peace on Earth,
goodwill to men." This restores Twain's faith and, in the
present, Joey echoes his sentiment singing "Peace on Earth."
As Joey sings, Wayne arrives and all join in and sing around the
restored Christmas tree.
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Now In Bookstores:
"It Came
Upon A Midnight Clear" a beautiful hardcover book with full
color photos taken from the episode. Click
here to get it now!
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Now
In Video stores: "Touched
By An Angel: Holiday Edition" featuring this episode.
Click
here to get it now! 
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