Mr. and Mrs. Ransom Baucom 303 W. Edinborough nta /Met jAlways FUmfi arid $dh(! Whoever heard of a skin ny Santa? At one time. Santa tear described as slim and tall, believe it or not. Today we are accus tomed to thinking of Santa in terms of Clement Clarke Moore's "plump and jolly old elf", described in bis poem, "A Visit from St. Nicholas." that we take it for granted that Santa has always looked that was. But until Moore wrote his now-famous poem, there were differing notions as to Santa's appearance. He was described as slim and tall in some accounts, short and fat iii others. No doubt many thought of him as being dignified, for he was known as St. Nich olas at that time. But then Moore wrote "A Visit from St. Nicholas." which appeared in print for the first time in the Sentinel of Troy. New York, just before Christmas in 1823. At that time it was published anonymously. By 1837, after having been printed every year in the Sentinel, it had been at tributed to Moore. The amusing and endear ing description of Santa ? "a little old driver, so lively and quick . . . his eyes how they twinkled! his dimples how merry! his cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry ?" captivated the imaginations of readers and later, an engraving of Santa accompanied the poem to further establish him in the public's mind as a fat and jolly type. With the passage of time, Moore's poem has become a traditional part of the Christmas scene. Hoeiday r