“Did she die free?” asked Jem.
“As the mountain air,” said Atticus. “She was conscious to the last, almost. Conscious,” he smiled, “and cantankerous.”
– Harper Lee
To Kill a Mockingbird, Chapter 11. Jem is asking his father about Mrs. Dubose, a nasty old woman who wanted to end her addiction to morphine before her death. And succeeded. Atticus is teaching a lesson about the value of fighting for something good.