As Americans are hunkering down to prevent the spread of coronavirus, we're also hearing about lots of the little acts of kindness that will help us all get through this. In another of a series of his Worst Columns Ever, David Brooks predicted last week that the coronavirus would surely murder compassion, because during pandemics, "Dread overwhelms the normal bonds of human affection." Or maybe the coronavirus is more of a Rorschach test for your view of human nature. I'm more inclined to go with Kurt Vonnegut's dictum that "We are here to help each other get through this thing, whatever it is" — although now that I look it up, I see he attributes that line from Timequake to his son Mark. Kurt raised him right.

And so, here's a story from the Washington Post about two siblings in Columbus, Ohio — Taran and Calliope, aged nine and six respectively — who played their cellos on the porch of their next-door neighbor, Helena Schlam, who's 78 and keeping herself indoors as much as possible these days. The kids' mom, Rebecca Tien, was inspired by all those quarantined Italians singing to each other, so she called Schlam and volunteered her musical family's services.

"I said, 'Would you like the kids to come play [a concert] on your porch?' " Tien recalled in an interview with The Washington Post. " 'You can listen through your living-room window.' "

Ms. Schlam, who lives alone, decided to come out on the porch, while staying a safe distance away. She also used a webcam to share the little concert with her grandchildren in Israel, who are also in self quarantine.

Neighbor kids play music for self-isolating elderly neighbor during coronavirus pandemic youtu.be

Schlam told the kids they'd just performed "their first international concert," and if that isn't nice, I don't know what is. And if you haven't read Robyn's piece on the singing Italians — and especially Puccini's batshit opera Turandot — well there's some assigned reading for you!