Dear Ann Landers,
have two children and I'm expecting my third in a few weeks. The problem is my sister Vera. Vera has been married eighteen years, but she has no children. Three years ago, Vera and her husband moved out of the state. She has come home quite often to help out when any of us had new babies and when Mamma was sick. Lately she's been writing such remarks as "Little ones wear me out. They make me nervous. I don't think I could take it the way I feel now." (Vera has a slight case of arthritis, but she is not crippled or anything like that.) I have the feeling she doesn't want to take care of my family when I go to the hospital and she's preparing me for the letdown. Ann, I feel it is my sister's Christian duty to help me out. Please tell her so.-Troubled

Dear Troubled,
Christian duty, my eye. Just because a woman is childless doesn't mean she's obliged to be a nurse or a maid for her sister. Imposing on relatives causes more trou-ble in this world than any five problems combined. If your sister had offered to help you out, fine. Since she did not, make other arrangements.